


Anderson Barbershop

by PaellaIsComplicated



Series: Barbershop Quartet [1]
Category: Glee
Genre: Canonical Character Death - Finn Hudson, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-09
Updated: 2017-02-19
Packaged: 2018-09-23 02:58:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 32,372
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9637925
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PaellaIsComplicated/pseuds/PaellaIsComplicated
Summary: AU where Kurt never visited Dalton.Now it's December of 2016 and Kurt has graduated from NYADA. He's having trouble getting cast in anything and loses his apartment after he and Adam break up. So when he inherits an apartment in Hackensack, NJ from a great-aunt he doesn't remember meeting, he decides spending a few months cleaning the place out will give him time to regroup.Blaine opened a barber shop and lives in Hackensack, NJ with his friends Nick and Jeff from Dalton. He's worried about making a success of his business, but not too worried to be intrigued when an attractive guy moves into the neighborhood.Warnings for past Kurt/Adam, references to Finn Hudson's death, past Blaine/Sebastian





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first multi-chapter work. Please give feedback. I have no idea what my posting schedule will be. 
> 
> And I feel ridiculous saying this, because it's obvious, but I don't own Glee or any of the characters you recognize. 
> 
> Many of the places described, however, are real. I'll post links to pics when I can. 
> 
> This work was inspired when I rode a bus past Anderson Barber Shop in Hackensack, NJ, and of course I thought of Blaine. If you look it up on Google Maps you can see the real place. Sadly, the neon sign is off in the picture. Obviously, Blaine redid the whole shop when he bought it, and in this story it resonates with old-fashioned charm. But that's in Chapter 2. 
> 
> Many thanks to Bowtiesandboatshoes for being an awesome Beta and for corrupting me with fan fiction in the first place.

**Kurt**

Kurt opened his eyes and sighed. He’d rolled over to put his arm around Adam, but the bed was cold and unfamiliar. Then he cursed himself for not being over it yet. It was three months since Adam left him, and now their lease had ended, and he’d moved. He didn’t really care anymore, when he was awake. When would his sleepy self catch up to reality? 

Opening his eyes didn’t help any. He’d hoped the place would look better in the light of day, but no. The room looked like the curtains from The Sound of Music threw up all over it. Green paisley, puce shag carpet, and more lace than even he knew what to do with.

He stumbled his way sleepily to the kitchen and realized, to his horror, that there was no coffee. Not even a coffee maker. He didn’t remember seeing a coffee shop last night, but he was in New Jersey, not the outback. There must at least be a Starbucks nearby. He got into the shower (pink tile with black trim, so many flowers, more lace on the shower curtain) and thought about how he wound up in this situation.

He hadn’t even known his mother’s aunt, so it was a bit surprising when his dad called and said he had to clean out her apartment. He’d been planning to move back in with Rachel when he found himself no longer engaged to Adam. Then she found a place in Manhattan, which he assumed was for both of them. But it was just for her. Evidently her commitments on Broadway were too demanding to allow for living with a heartbroken best friend. By the time she’d told him, she’d already let the lease go in Bushwick, leaving Kurt with no place to live. He had the keys to Aunt Bertie’s apartment, so he’d moved here sight unseen. And now he was in Hackensack, New Jersey, and he had no coffee. No wonder Aunt Bertie had died. How could you live without coffee?

Kurt dressed carefully, because every day is an opportunity for fashion, rolled his eyes at his boxes stacked on the floral, lace-covered living room set, and set out on his quest. As he stepped out of the apartment, he was struck—literally—by a whirlwind of a woman with short, white hair who had come rushing down the hallway. He caught her before she could stumble and fall and set her back on her feet.

“Oh!” Exclaimed the tiny woman. “I never did learn to watch where I’m going! I guess I should give up on that, at my age. But then, that apartment is empty, so I wasn’t expecting anyone to come out of it. Bertie died. Who are you? I’m Irene. I live in 4G and I’m so glad you’ve finally come because it’s terrible when an apartment is unoccupied. Not good for the neighborhood, you understand. We need new blood, though I wasn’t expecting young blood. We never get anyone young here anymore. It used to be that sometimes young families would move into the two-bedroom apartments, but there are more and more condos everywhere now and people don’t want the old buildings, which is crazy because the construction is much better than what I see in the new places going up. I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name?”

Kurt was a bit overwhelmed, but also delighted. He loved old people, and this one was a character. “Kurt Hummel,” he said, shaking her hand, “And I’m not planning to stay. I’m just here to clean the place out. But I’ll probably be living here for a few months because I just lost my place in Queens.”

“You’re not from Queens,” Irene replied, looking at him sharply.

“Ohio, originally,” Kurt agreed. “I’ve been in the area for a while now. I graduated from NYADA in May, and I’ve been trying to get work on Broadway since then, but it isn’t easy, so I’m happy to have a free place to stay for a while, especially since--”

“Oh, I love musicals!” Irene exclaimed. “I go see everything. I have tickets to the new production of Funny Girl next week.”

“You’ll love it,” Kurt said. “Rachel Berry is my best friend, and she’s every bit as good as the reviews said.” Kurt could be generous when Rachel wasn’t around to have her head inflated. Besides, it was true. Say what you will about Rachel, she would not disappoint an audience. “But right now, I’m on a quest for coffee. Do you know where a guy can get a mocha latte around here? Even a Starbucks will do.”

“Well,” Irene replied, “If you want Starbucks, the closest place is the hospital lobby. Left out of the front door, and a few blocks down. But for my money, I’d say you should go to Niff. Jeff and his partner Nick run a great little place. It’s near the NJ Transit stop on Anderson Avenue. They mostly serve commuters, but it’s the best brunch around, and they have an espresso machine. Did you come on the train?”

“No,” Kurt said.

“Turn right on Prospect and then walk across the park to Anderson. It’s on the left side of the street, just across the tracks. If you get to Kazmir’s Pets, you’ve gone too far.”

“Thanks, Irene. I hope I’ll see you around soon!” Kurt set off for the elevator.

Outside, Kurt took a moment to orient himself and think. The train stop was a few blocks away to the right. The hospital would be closer, but Starbucks from a hospital lobby didn’t sound appealing. And if he was going to be here for a while, getting to know the local coffee place was probably a good idea. Kurt turned right and entered “Niff” into Google Maps. Niff was essentially a brunch place: coffee and bagels for the commuters, lunch for local business people, and brunch on the weekends. But it was cute and clean and Kurt saw people coming out carrying large coffee cups, which was what he needed just then.

He was about to open the door when it burst open and he was nearly bowled over (again—does nobody in New Jersey look where they’re going?) by a man about his own age wearing a pea coat and a whole lot of hair gel. Kurt took a step back to regain his balance and the young man looked up in surprise.

“I’m terribly sorry,” he began.

Kurt had no idea what happened next. Maybe the young man said something else. Maybe the world stopped spinning. All he knew was the most beautiful hazel eyes he’d ever seen in his life were looking at him. And peeking out from the pea coat was a pink bow tie that perfectly set off the man’s olive complexion.

“Bow ties are so underrated,” Kurt said.

“Bow ties are cool,” the man smiled. Kurt wasn’t sure how to reply to that. Bow ties were many things: dapper, expressive, a retro touch that could be either casual or formal, but they were certainly not cool. By the time he collected his thoughts, the man had moved on down the street and Kurt found himself inside Niff trying to shake off thoughts of the beautiful young man so he could focus on the task at hand.

 

**Blaine**

“I know you’re kidding,” Blaine stormed, “because you’re my best friend and I’ve been out since I was fourteen years old and there is no way you’re suggesting that I should start hiding who I am now just to please a bunch of ignorant homophobes from the suburbs.”

“You’re not hearing me,” Nick replied calmly over his shoulder. He was frying eggs and bacon for a breakfast sandwich. “I’m not saying to go back in the closet. I’m saying you work with people’s expectations. Why do you think Jeff and I are doing so well here?” Nick wrapped up the sandwich, threw it in a bag, and handed it off with a smile, then turned to confront his friend directly, leaning on the counter across from Blaine’s seat. “Queers know brunch! And all these New Jersey liberals are thrilled to have their brunch with us, so they can tell their grandchildren they have gay friends. The fact that our food happens to be good is just a bonus. You just have to work the stereotypes in your favor.”

Blaine still didn’t see how that applied to him. He ran a barbershop, not a diner. And he hated stereotypes, particularly when they were applied to him. He looked at Nick blankly and took another sip of coffee. It was good coffee. A nice diner blend—nothing fancy—but just what you expect from a place like this. A well-made cup of strong coffee, hot and fresh.

Jeff finished cleaning the espresso machine at the end of the morning rush, and came over to join the conversation. “What you have to do, Blaine, is find the barbershop equivalent of brunch. What do people expect from gay guys in the hair industry? Something that will appeal both to the old people who live nearby and the young people moving in for the easy commute.”

Blaine thought about it. “I don’t know. What’s trendy? I already do coloring and all the latest techniques. That’s where the money is. But my regulars want a quick and reliable haircut.”

Jeff smirked. After five years together, he’d finally convinced Nick to get a trendier haircut. His own hair was shorter than it had been in high school and he’d given up the bleach after an unfortunate incident in college, before Blaine had started cutting hair. But Blaine was sticking with the pomade and the bow ties. Jeff totally trusted Blaine with his hair and Nick’s, and he knew Blaine could do anything with hair. He was a hair genius. With the metrosexual trend in full effect, he knew there were men out there would love to find a barber as talented as Blaine, but he wasn’t sure how to find them.

“Maybe you should offer manicures?” Nick suggested. “I’ve heard ‘menicures’ are the new thing. Which is weird, because the word ‘man’ is right there in ‘manicure,’ so why do we need a different word for it anyway?”

“I could,” Blaine said thoughtfully, ignoring Nick’s speculation about the word, “but I’d have to hire someone to do it, which wouldn’t help much with profits and getting the business off the ground.”

“Well, what’s high-end service for men?” Nick wondered. “I’ve got it! Hot shaves.”

“You think?” Blaine was intrigued by the idea. “Would people come in for that? It would be bringing something back from the past, which I like, but I’m not sure.”

“Here’s the hook,” Jeff picked up Nick’s idea and ran with it. “You sell it as a luxury item: ‘Treat yourself, change your life!’ Something like that. Get guys to stop in for a shave on the way to work, or on the way to a date. Make it like a tiny massage—hot towels, the whole nine yards. Then they’ll understand why they’re going to a queer for it!”

“Why they’re going to a--” Blaine drained his coffee cup and stood up. He loved Jeff. He and Nick and Jeff had been friends since they sang together in high school, before Nick was even out, and long before Nick and Jeff became a couple. But Jeff could be trying at times, and he’d had about as much Jeff as he could stand for one morning. “Well, I’ll think about it,” he said. “Now it’s time to open the shop. I’ll be back at lunch time.”

“See you, Blaine!” Nick called out.

Blaine threw a wave in Nick’s direction and hadn’t quite turned back around when he pushed the door open, which is why he almost crashed right into the most beautiful man he’d ever seen. Perfect chestnut hair, perfect blue eyes, delectable mouth, a black bomber jacket with gray cuffs and complex embroidery, and pants that were so tight…Blaine realized he was staring and he looked up, his well-taught manners kicking in.

“I’m terribly sorry,” he said. The young man said nothing for a moment, and Blaine was worried he’d offended him with his staring. Some guys couldn’t take being ogled by a gay man, but if you don’t want to be looked at, you don’t wear pants like that. Suddenly he realized the man was saying something about his tie. He only ever got comments on his ties from Doctor Who fans, so he tried the obvious line.

“Bow ties are cool,” he said with his best Matt Smith smirk. Back at the shop, he even had a fez that he’d sometimes throw on when a die-hard Whovian came in and started joking with him about his bow ties.

But the perfect man looked at him blankly. Okay, then. Not a Whovian. It didn’t look like the man had anything else to say, so Blaine politely held the door and rushed off to open his shop. It was getting late, and he could already see Greg standing by the door, waiting for his Friday trim. He shook himself a little bit as he walked down the block, then greeted Greg and unlocked the door.

“Just give me a minute to change my coat and I’ll be right with you, Greg!” Blaine called as he walked toward the back of his shop. Greg hung up his jacket and settled into the front barber chair. Greg didn’t like to wait, so he made sure to always be at the shop before Blaine on Friday mornings so he could get the first haircut. He was young and muscular, a personal trainer who worked with physical therapy patients a couple of towns over. Local guy. Hot. Very straight. But he liked Blaine because Blaine kept regular hours and always gave a reliable haircut. And since he was Blaine’s most regular Regular, they were getting pretty friendly.

Blaine took off his pea coat and his sweater and reached for his old-fashioned barber coat. He loved the classic look of the white coat—a throwback to the time when barbers were physicians. It fit with his philosophy of an old school barber shop. He kept his combs in alcohol, gave out lollipops to children when they came in with their dads, and made sure to have a few copies of today’s newspaper in the shop, even though hardly anyone reads newspapers anymore. It made him popular with the old guys from Prospect Avenue, but even a steady clientele of retirees wasn’t going to build his business. He needed to attract the young businessmen who commuted on the train and who would pay for more expensive treatments like bleaching and coloring, or his business would be closed within a year. He sighed and walked out to the front of the shop. At least it was Friday. Greg always made a good start to the day. Young, chatty, and always wanting a nice, easy, buzz cut.

“Good morning, Greg,” he said cheerfully, as he got out the cloak and fastened it around his customer’s neck. “How was your week?”

“Oh, not bad, not bad,” Greg replied. “I’m going out partying with the guys tonight. You wanna come?” Greg had a group of friends he’d been hanging out with since high school, and he always tried to convince Blaine to join them on the weekends for drinking and picking up women at the local bars.

“Sorry, Greg,” Blaine thought fast. “I’m pretty sure today is the day I’m going to win the Hamilton lottery, so I can’t.”

“I’ve heard about this Hamilton thing,” Greg said. “What’s the deal with it? Why is this Miranda guy showing up on Saturday Night Live and whatever?”

“It’s a really great musical,” Blaine replied, working on Greg’s buzz cut.

“But what’s it about?”

“Well, it’s about Alexander Hamilton. The guy on the money.”

“And he sings and dances?” Greg sounds dubious.

“Yep,” Blaine smirked. “It sounds crazy, but it works. And the music is great. Hip hop, R&B, jazz…”

“If you say so,” Greg said. “I just don’t get it.” Blaine and Greg had long since agreed to disagree on many things. They agreed on the important things, though: football, the importance of a good haircut, the little-known secret that the best New York style pizza actually comes from New Jersey. “My brother-in-law has been doing that lottery for months. Nobody wins that. You should come out with us. If you want, we’ll go to Club Feathers. I hear they have five dollar well drinks and lots of hot chicks. Why do chicks go to a gay bar, anyway?”

Blaine smiled. Greg was a good guy. Blaine still didn’t want to go out and get drunk with him. He’d never been much into alcohol and Greg drank like a frat boy on the weekends, at least if the stories he told about keg stands and drinking contests were to be believed. And while Club Feathers was the only local gay bar, it was in fact usually full of straight women looking to get their flirt on with safe guys who wouldn’t grope them, which he didn’t really need. “Maybe next time, Greg. You’re all set for today.”

Greg got up and pulled out his wallet, admiring his cut in the mirror. “Great job, as usual, Blaine.” He dropped two ten-dollar bills on the counter, then stopped to look at them. “This is that Hamilton guy, right? Intense eyes.” Blaine took a look. He was right. There were a lot of lines about Hamilton’s eyes in the musical, and you could see the intensity of them even in the image used on the money. Frankly, Hamilton was kind of hot, which explained a lot, actually. Fine features, chestnut hair, slender: suddenly, Blaine found himself thinking about the perfect man he’d seen earlier. He wanted to see him again. Maybe he was local. Maybe he’d come into the shop. That brought him back to wondering how he could get young guys into the shop.

“Hey Greg,” he said, ringing him up. “Would you pay for a hot shave?”

“What do you mean, like with a straight razor and hot towels and stuff?” Greg asked.

“Yeah,” Blaine said. “Nick thinks I should start offering hot shaves to the business crowd: a little pampering before work. Do you think I could bring in some younger guys that way?”

“Maybe some guys into fancy stuff,” Greg mused. “My buddy Scott would go for that sort of thing. He likes manicures and whatnot. And I guess Nick and Jeff might like that sort of thing.” That was Greg’s way of saying he thought hot shaves were a bit gay. He wasn’t a bad guy. Not actively homophobic, obviously, he just had some set ideas about masculinity and didn’t really get why a straight guy would be interested in things like skin care or having hair long enough to cut with scissors. But at least he was progressive enough not to actually call it gay to Blaine’s face. “Like I’ll bet that guy would do it,” Greg continued, pointing out the window.

Blaine turned and looked through his neon window sign that said “ANDERSON BARBER SHOP,” following the direction Greg was looking. There was the perfect man he’d run into earlier, his perfect long legs striding by in his perfect tight pants. Suddenly, the man looked in his direction, and Blaine thought for one second that the man was looking at him, but then the man smiled and kept walking toward Hackensack Avenue. Blaine couldn’t help but notice that those painted on jeans showed off an amazing ass. Well, then. If it would bring in guys like him, maybe Blaine should offer hot shaves. Because it would be good for business, obviously. No other reason.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kurt checks out the neighborhood. Blaine has lunch.
> 
> Thanks again to Bowtiesandboatshoes for beta-ing!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the comments! I decided to post Chapter 2 because people actually seem to want to read it. 
> 
> Also, small note about Chapter 1. I misnamed Hackensack Avenue as River Road. Hackensack Ave does become River Street a couple miles down, and there's a River Road parallel to Hackensack Ave across the river in Teaneck, which was the source of my confusion. I fixed it now.

**Kurt**

  
Kurt walked straight to the counter and sat down, ordering a non-fat mocha from the short, dark-haired guy who approached him. The place wasn’t crowded, but then it wouldn’t be at this time of morning. The commuters were all on their way to work by now, and it would be a couple of hours before people came in for lunch. Kurt looked over the menu, trying to decide if he wanted any breakfast. It was hard to think when he hadn’t had his coffee yet.

A blond guy brought the coffee. He was wearing a dark green Henley and tight jeans under his classic white apron. The shirt set off his pale complexion and blue eyes well. He was fit, but not built, and he looked Kurt up and down appraisingly as he approached. “Well, you haven’t been in before,” Jeff said. “I would definitely have noticed.”

Oh. Kurt wasn’t expecting a young, fairly attractive gay man. He felt a little bit flustered. Maybe it was time to start flirting. It had been three months since Adam left. “No. I’m Kurt Hummel. I just moved here last night. My boyfriend broke up with me, and I’m cleaning out my great-aunt’s apartment, so I figured I’d stay in it for a while,” Kurt said. “She died,” he added, helpfully.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Jeff said. “Welcome to the neighborhood, though. I’m Jeff. Over there is my boyfriend Nick. We own this place.” Kurt was really surprised at that. He’d thought the suburbs would be more like Lima than New York, but Jeff seemed to feel pretty comfortable flirting in public and talking about his relationship.  
“Oh,” he said. “Irene said you were partners, but you’re partners!”

“Who’s Irene?” Jeff asked.

“An old lady I met in my building over on Prospect,” Kurt explained. “So you can even let old ladies know about your relationship? Or does she think you’re just business partners?”

“Well, I can’t speak for every old lady who’s ever been in here,” Jeff said, “but Nick and I don’t keep our relationship a secret, and when people ask about the name of the place, we tell ‘em ‘Niff’ was the nickname our high school friends gave us when we first started dating.”

“Wow,” Kurt replied. “That’s nice to know. I was a little worried, moving out to the suburbs, that I’d have to go back to watching what I do in public.”

“I mean, it’s not the West Village,” Jeff said, musing. “But I think the old folks around here tend to sass us more about not being married than they do about us being gay. Nick usually tells them it would take a lot more than a marriage license to make an honest man of me.” He chuckled.

Kurt sipped his coffee and started to relax. Things would be okay. He had a nonfat mocha.  
“So, can I get you anything else?” Jeff asked, gesturing toward the menu.

“Not right now, thanks,” Kurt said. “But tell me--how do a couple of gay guys end up running a luncheonette in the suburbs?”

“Well,” Jeff began. “Nick and I met in high school back in Ohio. After college, we decided we wanted to go into the service industry. This place was empty and near the train station, so it seemed like a good location for us.”

“You’re from Ohio?” Kurt was shocked. “I’m from Lima!”

“Well, what are the chances?” Jeff was amused. “I’m from here, actually. Nick’s from New York, but we went to boarding school in Westerville.”

“Oh, sure,” Kurt said. “Dalton, right? I hear they’re almost done building the new facility. Shame about the fire.”

“Yeah,” Jeff agreed. “That was hard. But the alumni pulled together and we’ll have a new building soon. I’ll always miss the old one, though. Gorgeous place to go to school.”

Kurt was finished with his coffee, so he threw a five dollar bill on the counter and stood up.

“It was nice meeting you guys,” he said. “I’m going to walk around the neighborhood a bit to get my bearings. Anything I should see?”

“You’re walking?” Jeff asked. “You know you’re in the suburbs, right?”

“I don’t have a car,” Kurt explained. “I guess I might get one, but I’m an actor, so I’m not exactly flush at the moment. Anyway, I got used to walking when I lived in the City.”

“Well, then,” Jeff thought about it. “I guess you could walk straight up to Teaneck if you wanted to, if you head to the left. Anderson becomes Cedar Lane, which is the main street over there. Or you could make a left on Hackensack Avenue, and walk down toward Target. There’s a performing arts high school down there that has shows for cheap, and Fairleigh Dickenson University is on both sides of the river. If you go about a mile and cross the highway, you’ll get to the mall. It’s just a mall but it’s a classy one: Bloomies and there’s a Barnes and Noble. Cheesecake Factory has a bar if you want a drink some night.”

“Thanks, Jeff,” Kurt said, walking toward the door. “I’m sure I’ll be back soon!”

“Looking forward to it!”

Kurt walked left out of the restaurant and looked around. He noticed Kazmir’s Pets next to a small barber shop. Irene had mentioned that place. Maybe he’d walk down the river and check out the performing arts high school and the college. Cheap local theater was always a good thing. And he should probably find out how far it was to Target since he hadn’t seen a grocery store anywhere around. He’d get enough provisions to last until he could do more exploring. And maybe he’d buy himself a coffee machine while he was there. Seriously, who doesn’t have a coffee machine?

**Blaine**

  
Blaine swept up the shop and put away his barber coat, turned the door sign to “CLOSED” and walked back to Nick’s for lunch. When he got there, the place was crowded with the end of the lunch rush, but he found a seat at the counter and waited for Nick or Jeff to have a moment to take his order. He had the arts section from the paper he brought over from the shop and was reading a review of the latest Marvel movie when Nick came by, putting a bowl of soup in front of Blaine.

“What’s this?” Blaine asked.

“It’s my boyfriend’s lunch,” Nick explained. “He’s got a crush on some guy who came in this morning, so right now, you’re my favorite.”

“I told him you were my boyfriend!” Jeff called from the grill, where he was making about six lunches at once. “I didn’t even flirt! I just think he’s hot.” Jeff was pouting. Blaine wasn’t worried--Nick and Jeff went back a long way, and a little teasing was normal for them.

“Who’s the guy?” Blaine asked. “You’re not usually so jealous, Nick.”

“This guy is gay,” Nick explained. “And from Ohio. And he likes to walk. He and Jeff are besties now.”

“Really?” Blaine was interested. A new gay guy who he didn’t go to high school with? Intriguing. He picked up his soup and his paper and moved down to a seat that had opened up near the grill so he could talk to Jeff without shouting. The place was starting to clear out from the lunch rush, so Blaine watched and ate his soup while Jeff cleared off the grill, expertly preparing each dish and plating it to appeal to all five senses.

When he saw that Jeff had a minute to think, he asked him, “So tell me about your new BFF. He’s hot, you say? How old?”

Jeff turned toward the counter and started clearing places. “About our age. So hot. Jeans might have been painted on. Amazing ass. Perfect hair. Great smile.” Jeff seemed to be drifting into a reverie.

“This is why Nick is mad at you, Jeff!” Blaine said sternly. Then he remembered the perfect man from this morning. “Wait. Did he come in right after I left?”

“Yup.” Jeff spun around excitedly. “You saw him?”

“Perfect hair? Blue eyes? Complicated jacket?” Blaine was ready to fangirl. “I almost crashed into him on my way out. He liked my bow tie. And he isn’t even a Whovian.”

“Did you see that ass?” Jeff loved having gay friends who weren’t his boyfriend. Nick rolled his eyes and took over the items left cooking on the grill. Obviously, Jeff was going to be useless for a while.

“Did I?” Blaine started to ruminate on the many perfections of the perfect man. Then it hit him. “Wait--he’s gay? You’re sure?”

“Oh, yeah. Told me all about how he just broke up with his boyfriend and had to move out here from Queens. His great-aunt died, and he’s cleaning out her place.”

“So you’re saying he’s gay, single, and lonely?” Blaine clarified. “That’s...terrible.” He frowned as long as he could, then smiled at his friend. Jeff was grinning back at him. Jeff loved Nick, and he wouldn’t even consider cheating, but he also loved Blaine, and wanted him to be happy. And if Blaine being happy also gave Jeff the chance to live vicariously through him, well, that was just bonus.

“From Ohio, you say? Buckeyes fan?” Blaine asked. After all, there was from Ohio, and then there was from Ohio.

“We didn’t talk sports, Blaine,” Jeff chided him.

“You are lousy at recon,” Blaine retorted.

“Oh, yeah?” Jeff came back at him. “Do you know his name? I know his name.”

“What’s his name?” Blaine asked, much more quickly than he would have liked.

“That’s for me to know and you to find out,” Jeff teased.

“His name’s Kurt,” Nick supplied, as he walked by, ruining all of Jeff’s fun. “And I like him a lot better when YOU’RE crushing on him, Blaine.”

“Kurt. It’s perfect. His name is perfect,” Blaine said, dreamily. Jeff and Nick smiled at each other. Then Blaine realized he had no idea how to find this perfect Kurt. “Is he coming back?”

“He said he would. I’ll keep an eye out for you.” Jeff was going to enjoy this.

“Put the soup on my tab. I’ve got a shop to run,” Blaine said, getting up to leave. After all, if he was going to start a new advertising campaign to get young, perfect men to come into the shop, he’d have to get going.

“Soup’s on us!” Nick called. “You just saved our relationship.” Blaine laughed and nodded, then returned his thoughts to the barbershop.

When he got to the shop, Blaine got busy on his computer. An hour later, he walked over to the print shop and picked up a sign for his window. On the way back, he stopped at Sears to buy some high-quality white towels. Then he went deep into his storage space to find the old tools from his apprenticeship: razor, strop, soap scuttle, and he dug out a towel warmer that had belonged to a previous owner of the shop. In the morning, he’d stop by his supplier to get some shaving oil. Tomorrow, Anderson Barber Shop would start offering hot shaves.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kurt starts organizing. Blaine has a problem.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter 3. I found myself in Hackensack yesterday and realized my geography is a little bit off, so sorry about that. Don't use Irene's directions to get from Prospect Avenue to Anderson Barber Shop. I did find some good details that will appear in future chapters, though. And I have pictures of Kurt and Blaine's apartment buildings that I will try to post at some point, for your viewing pleasure.
> 
> Thanks for kudos and comments! Thanks to Bowtiesandboatshoes for beta assistance. I don't own Glee.

**Kurt**

The first project was cleaning out the clothes closets. Kurt’s wardrobe was currently neatly folded into boxes and suitcases, but clothes deserved better treatment than that. Especially quality clothes, and Kurt only owned quality clothing. He sorted through Aunt Bertie’s closets efficiently, throwing away the worn pieces and personal items that nobody would want, pulling out a piece or two that he thought he could maybe sell online or cut apart and make into something else, and packing the rest away to give to charity. He’d ask Jeff or Irene where he could donate used items. 

By the time he had his own clothes properly hung, he realized he was hungry. He looked at his phone and saw that it was 1PM, and decided he needed a real break. He’d go down to Niff, see what was on their lunch menu, and find out where he could bring these clothes. 

He walked in to find Nick and Jeff both cooking furiously at the height of the lunch rush. Jeff smiled at him when he sat at the counter and started to peruse the menu, but he didn’t have time for a proper greeting. Nick took Kurt’s order and, a few minutes later, presented Kurt with a delicious and beautifully plated salad. As he ate, Kurt observed the controlled chaos of a restaurant at lunch time, and the smooth choreography of Jeff and Nick working together, obviously well-practiced at moving in synch with one another. He could tell that Nick was always aware of Jeff’s presence in the narrow space between the lunch counter and the prep area, and vice versa. It was kind of romantic, in a way. 

As the lunch rush came to an end, Jeff found a minute to come over and say hi. Kurt was about to ask him where the nearest clothing donation box was when in walked the man with the beautiful eyes from yesterday. The man walked in and stopped suddenly when he saw Kurt talking to Jeff, then sat down carefully a few stools away, greeting Jeff and Nick with familiarity, and smiling quickly at Kurt before turning to his menu. Obviously, he was a regular. Well, that was a nice thought. And he was wearing another bow tie. This one was yellow with red fish on it. He had on bright red pants that clung in a nice way, Kurt noticed, and the same navy pea coat he’d been wearing yesterday, which he was now absent-mindedly removing and placing on the stool next to his, revealing a plain but well-fitted yellow button-down shirt. 

Kurt remembered his conversation with Jeff all of a sudden, and studiously turned his attention back where it was supposed to be, only to find Jeff looking back and forth between himself and The Man With the Eyes with an amused look on his face. He seemed to be wrestling internally with something--something he was enjoying immensely--when suddenly Nick walked by behind him and ostentatiously bumped Jeff with his shoulder. 

“Kurt!” Jeff exclaimed rather suddenly, as though Nick had bumped the word out of his mouth. Kurt looked up at him expectantly. “Have you met Blaine Anderson? He’s our old friend from Ohio, and he runs the barbershop down the street. Blaine--Kurt Hummel.”

The Man With the Eyes--Blaine--stood up, formally extending a hand with a charming smile. “We met yesterday,” he pointed out. “But we haven’t been introduced. I hear you’ve just moved in. Welcome to the neighborhood.” 

Kurt turned to greet him, knocking into his bomber jacket on the stool beside him as he did so. He rushed to grab it before it fell, but Blaine was quicker than he was and caught it before it hit the floor. In an instant, Kurt could see that Blaine knew what he was holding.

“It is, isn’t it?” Blaine held the jacket with the reverence it deserved, and looked up at Kurt in wonder. Kurt smiled and waited. “It’s from this year’s McQueen collection?”

Kurt decided to cut straight through the discomfort of the situation. He knew McQueen jackets didn’t just walk into New Jersey diners every day of the week. Neither did hot guys who knew enough about fashion to spot one. “I was an intern at Vogue.com all through college. Sarah is friends with my boss and gave it to me as a going away present. The cashmere is gorgeous, isn’t it?”

“May I?” Blaine held the jacket up reverently, and Kurt nodded, looking on with a smile as Blaine touched the jacket carefully, admiring the workmanship. “It’s so soft, and the stitching is incredible. I saw it in Vogue but holding it…” Blaine drifted off and handed the jacket respectfully back to Kurt. “And you’re on a first-name basis with Sarah Burton? That’s so cool!”

“Yeah,” Kurt laughed. “I didn’t get paid for four years of hard work, but the benefits were amazing. Isabelle made sure my wardrobe was taken care of, and for me that’s my biggest expense, so…”

“I can see that,” Blaine replied. Kurt blushed as Blaine looked him up and down. Then he reminded himself that into fashion did not equal gay, and told himself to cool it a bit. He could admire clothes that fit a nice body without having to flirt. He sat back down at the counter and grabbed a menu.

“So, what’s good here?” He asked, indicating the menu. Blaine sat down again, just one stool over now, almost like they were eating together, Kurt thought.

“Well,” Blaine said thoughtfully. “I’m partial to the lunch salads, but I see you already know how good they are.” Kurt looked at his empty salad bowl and blushed again at his stupidity. One look from those eyes and a little talk about Alexander McQueen and he forgot that he just ate. 

“No, I mean,” Kurt stumbled, trying to save the conversation, “desserts. Do they have cheesecake?”

“They do,” Blaine replied, accepting his usual lunch from Jeff (his usual lunch when Nick was speaking to Jeff, that is), which was a cup of soup and half a salad. “It’s not bad, either. Though I personally would go for the apple pie.”

“Not when there’s cheesecake,” Kurt replied reflexively. Jeff smiled and brought over a slice of cheesecake. “Could I have a coffee, too?” Kurt asked. “Non-fat mocha, please.” Jeff nodded and walked off to the espresso machine. 

“So,” Blaine began. “What brings you to our fair city? Hackensack isn’t exactly a gay Mecca.”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Kurt replied. “There’s Jeff and Nick…” he let his voice drift off meaningfully.

“And there’s me,” Blaine added. Kurt gave himself an internal high five. Because it meant another gay friend, of course. Obviously that was all he was interested in. “But I came here because of them. The three of us were best friends in high school back in Ohio, so when I fell in love with cutting hair, and a barber shop came up for sale down the street from Niff, it just seemed like a good place to be.”

“So what did the three of you do together back in high school?” Kurt asked. “I wish I’d known there were three gay guys right in Westerville while I was doing makeovers on my girls back in Lima.”

“Well,” Blaine began. “We met singing in an a cappella group.”

“You were Warblers?” Kurt was astounded. “Jeff, Nick--you didn’t say anything about being Warblers yesterday! I sang in New Directions. McKinley High! We competed against you.”

“Wow, McKinley! Were you there when New Directions won Nationals?” Blaine knew his stuff. Nick and Jeff both came over to participate in the conversation, now that one of their hobbies was involved and not just flirting and fashion icons.

“2012, my senior year,” Kurt exclaimed. “It was amazing. Wait. I think I remember you. ‘Hey, Soul Sister,’ right?” Blaine nodded. “You almost beat us, I think. If it hadn’t been for my solo…”

“Oh, wow, that was you?” Blaine suddenly realized it had to be. How many guys had voices that could do that? “That was the most amazing rendition of ‘Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)’ I’ve ever heard.” 

Kurt was starting to wonder if a person could die from blushing. Maybe this guy--Blaine--would just think he was naturally bright red with how much he was blushing today. He had performed plenty since that day at Sectionals in 2010, but that had been his first big solo, a gift from Mr. Schuester to help him deal with the abuse he was suffering every day at school, and practically the only thing that had gotten him through it. (Though Puck had been an excellent body guard when not distracted by a hot girl or a shiny object, and the whole ordeal had brought Kurt and Finn closer. Kurt’s chest tightened at the thought of his brother, as it always did.) Kurt reminded himself that he was having a conversation with three people and brought his mind back to the present. 

“Thank you,” he said, simply. “It’s too bad we didn’t meet then. You know, my friends Puck and Santana tried to convince me that Dalton was a gay school, but I didn’t believe them. If only I had known.”

Blaine, Jeff and Nick all laughed. “It definitely wasn’t a gay school,” Nick began. 

“And Nick wasn’t out until senior year,” Jeff added. 

“Yeah,” Blaine sighed. “Mostly it was just me and Jeff mooning over Ewan McGregor.”

“Hey!” Jeff argued. “I was mooning over my straight best friend who turned out to be my One True Love after all.” He smiled at Nick.

“It’s okay, Jeff,” Nick laughed. “I know all about you and Ewan, and I’ve long since forgiven you.” 

“And then there was Sebastian,” Jeff blurted. Blaine turned an unpleasant color when the name was mentioned. Something was going on there.

“There were _four_ out gay kids in Ohio? Right in Westerville?” Kurt was shocked. What would his life have been like had he known he wasn’t completely alone? If he could have had friends like this? Someone to moon over Ewan McGregor with? Well, other than his girls, of course. He was, of course, intensely jealous of what Nick and Jeff had. Not many people end up with their high school sweetheart. But even to have what Blaine and Jeff had during high school: a friend to commiserate with, would have changed everything. 

“Well,” Nick said quietly. “Sebastian was hardly a comfort. He and Blaine dated a little, and he was a serious jerk. Somehow he managed to charm enough Warblers to get a solo our junior year. I’m still wondering how that happened.” Blaine looked at his soup. Kurt thought back to 2011-2012, trying to remember the Warblers.

“Wait, the meerkat guy?” Kurt asked. “He wasn’t that good. I remember being surprised because you guys had been so impressive the year before.” He watched as Blaine smiled ruefully into his lunch, and decided to change the subject.

“So, uh, can you guys tell me where I can donate my aunt’s clothes? I’ve got everything in bags but I was hoping I could take them someplace close since I don’t have a car.”

“Oh,” said Jeff. “We close up here at 3. If you don’t mind waiting I could drive you to the Paramus Recycling center. They have a Goodwill bin. There’s a Salvation Army here in Hackensack, but we don’t like to support them.”

“No,” said Kurt. “I don’t want my aunt’s stuff going to support homophobes.”

“And actually, Jeff,” Blaine interrupted. “I was going to ask for your help today. I found a towel heater for your hot shave idea, but it doesn’t seem to be working right. Do you think you could come look at it for me?”

Jeff looked at Blaine a little funny. “You want me to come look at it? Why? You can read the directions or call the help line just as well as I can.”

“Jeff,” Blaine replied. “You know I can’t afford a new machine, and I’ve already invested what little capital I have setting up the rest of the hot shave operation. I thought two heads would be better than one. If I can’t fix this, I’m back to square one.”

“Actually,” Kurt interrupted. “Maybe I could help? I’m pretty good with mechanical things.” Everyone looked at him. Why didn’t anyone ever believe him? “My dad owns a car repair shop. I grew up fixing cars, and engines pretty much all work the same way.” 

“Well, then, I guess it’s settled,” Nick said suddenly. “Kurt will fix Blaine’s towel heater, and then Blaine can drive Kurt to Goodwill. And Jeff can come home with me.” Blaine gave Nick a look.

“Um, okay,” he said. “Yeah. I mean, I usually keep the shop open until 6 but if you can fix the towel warmer, I guess I can close a little early.” He looked at Kurt for agreement. Kurt thought it over for about a millisecond before he nodded and grabbed his bomber jacket. A project and a new friend. A new, hot gay friend who appreciated fashion and wore bow ties and had amazing eyes and grew up in Ohio. Maybe a fresh start could involve a little bit of flirting.

**Blaine**

This morning, Blaine arrived at the shop with a brand-new oil heater and selection of shaving oils, only to find that the old towel warmer didn’t work. He didn’t have the money to buy a new one, and if he didn’t get one, the money he’d just spent on hot oils and the sign advertising hot shaves would be wasted. 

He was staring blankly at the insides of the towel warmer when there was a knock on the front door. Blaine turned to see a tall, African-American man slightly younger than himself, wearing sharply creased black chinos and a high school football jacket from the Hackensack Comets. He opened the door quickly.

“Morning, Joseph,” he said. “I don’t suppose you know anything about fixing machines?”

“Nope,” Joseph replied. “I’m just a barber. Well, apprentice barber. I can take care of the regulars while you work on it, though.”

Blaine had spent a frustrating morning trying to find the problem in the heater until the walk-in line got long, then he set up his chair and cut hair until they caught up with the line and then Joseph took his lunch break. 

Then he’d taken the best lunch break of his life. The Perfect Man had a name (Kurt), had let him touch his Alexander McQueen jacket (squee!) and was coming to Blaine’s shop because he wanted to do Blaine a favor. Then Blaine was going to be a good friend and drive Kurt where he needed to go. And then maybe they’d have dinner, go back to Blaine’s for a few drinks, fall in love, get married, buy a house, get a dog. Wait, Kurt was talking. Blaine should listen.

“So,” Kurt wondered. “How can you leave the shop in the middle of a Saturday? I’d think Saturday would be a busy day for you.”

“I have an assistant on Saturdays,” Blaine explained. “Joseph is still learning, but he’s a great guy and learning quickly. And he’s African American, so he attracts clients from the black community who might not trust a guy like me with their hair. I’m hoping to grow the business until Joseph can work with me full-time once he has more experience. And we’re teaching each other about different kinds of hair and cultural differences. Anyway, there’s generally enough business for both of us on Saturdays, but we each take a lunch break.”

When they got to the shop, Joseph was working in the second chair and there was a line of men waiting, so Blaine showed Kurt the towel warmer and where he kept his tools, and left Kurt alone to tinker while he went up front to take customers. Joseph gave him a look when he came out of the back room, but didn’t say anything because they had customers. The next couple of hours passed with the usual banter and gossip around the barber shop, customers coming in and telling Blaine and Joseph about their lives, or chatting about sports. When Blaine had to go into the back room for something (and okay, maybe he went into the back room a little more often than usual), he found Kurt tinkering away, the towel warmer in pieces as Kurt frowned in concentration. Even the frown was beautiful. But Blaine let him work and went back to his customers.

By the time Kurt emerged from the back room, the line was much shorter, and Blaine felt like he could take a few minutes to talk. 

“I don’t suppose you have a soldering iron?” Kurt asked. “I’m pretty sure the problem is just a loose wire, but if you want a long-term fix, you need solder.” 

“Um…” Blaine began. “You can’t just use duct tape? I thought all problems could be solved with duct tape. It’s like The Force.”

Kurt looked puzzled for a moment. Then he said, “Because it has a light side, and a dark side, and it holds the universe together?” 

Blaine’s chin dropped. _Perfect Man is perfect,_ he thought.

“I could use duct tape,” Kurt continued. “But solder is better, less likely to start an electrical fire, and it will last longer. If you can wait a bit, I have a soldering iron. We can pick it up when we go to my apartment and then I’ll fix your towel warmer.”

“I have to ask,” Blaine said. “Why do you have a soldering iron?”

“It’s all I wanted for my thirteenth birthday,” Kurt replied. “My dad was thrilled, until he found the tiaras I was making with it. Still, I think he has the best lapel-pins in all of Congress.”

Blaine put two and two together. “Your dad is Burt Hummel. Gay rights. Anti-bullying.”

“Yup,” Kurt said. “We got through the tension once I came out. He really was just worried about how the other kids would treat me, and now he’s my biggest cheerleader. And making the world better for the next generation of queer kids. Also he taught me to fix things. So can you wait for the solder, or do I duct tape the thing so you can use it now?”

“No, let’s go,” Blaine said. “Joseph should be able to handle things for the rest of the day, and everything’s closed tomorrow, so we’d better get your things to Goodwill.”

“What do you mean, everything’s closed tomorrow?” Kurt wondered.

“This is Bergen County,” Blaine replied. Kurt looked at him blankly. “Blue Laws?” Still nothing. Nobody had told Kurt about Bergen County. “This county still has Blue Laws. Stores are closed on Sundays.”

Kurt just blinked a few times.

Blaine waited.

“No shopping on Sundays?” Kurt finally asked. “Why would they do that?”

“Well,” Blaine said. “Originally it was religious, obviously. But it seems small business-owners lobby to keep the laws every time they come up for a vote. And the traffic around here is crazy on Saturdays, with people from New York coming to shop. People like being able to drive unobstructed one day a week.”

“Wow,” Kurt said. “I’ve moved into crazy-land.” 

“Yeah,” Blaine agreed. “But even in crazy-land, there’s someone who will have better use for your aunt’s clothes than you will. Shall we go get them?” He walked out of the shop and headed toward his apartment building to pick up his car.

“So,” he began as they crossed the street. “I know that you won Nationals in 2012 and you’re here now. What was that journey like?”

“Well,” Kurt said thoughtfully. “I went to NYADA with my best friend Rachel.”

“Was she in New Directions?”

“The tiny one with the big voice?” Kurt laughed and Blaine nodded, remembering her. “She’s the diva to end all divas, but she sure kept me on track. Also, she was engaged to my step-brother at the time, so it sort of made sense for us to live together.”

“Did the relationship not work out, or your brother?” Blaine asked, half-joking.

“Well, sort of both, I guess,” Kurt replied, uncomfortable. “They broke up because of the distance, but we all thought they’d work it out somehow until Finn died.”

Blaine didn’t know what to say. Well, manners dictated what to say, but it didn’t seem like enough. Still, he said, “I’m so sorry.”

“He was nineteen,” Kurt added. “It sucked. It still sucks. But anyway,” he continued, shaking himself a little bit, “eventually I moved in with my boyfriend Adam, also a NYADA alum, and we graduated, and Rachel got the lead in Funny Girl--”

“Rachel BERRY is your best friend?!” Blaine interrupted.

“Yeah,” Kurt replied. “Rachel Berry is my best friend, and I look and sound like this, so she’s starring on Broadway and I’m struggling for parts.”

Blaine didn’t know what to say to that. Rachel was good, but Kurt was beautiful, and sang with a voice that Blaine still remembered five years later. There was absolutely no comparison, as far as Blaine was concerned. 

After a small, uncomfortable silence, Kurt continued. “Um, so then I got engaged, got un-engaged, Rachel let our apartment go and moved to Manhattan, and my mysterious aunt made me executor of her estate, so here I am.”

Engaged. Wow. That was a piece of information. Blaine had never even had a long-term boyfriend. Kurt would never take him seriously. Well, he should have known a guy like Kurt was way out of his league. Blaine had so many questions he didn’t know where to start. Like, who could think Kurt wasn’t as good as Rachel Berry? And how did one become “unengaged?” And how long ago did that happen and how did Kurt feel about it? And how long was he planning to stay in Hackensack, exactly? But before he could ask, they arrived at his building and he had to take a minute to show Kurt the way to the parking lot. 

By the time they were settled in the car and on the way to Kurt’s aunt’s apartment, the subject had moved on.

“What about you? Kurt asked. “How did you go from Dalton Boy to up-and-coming New Jersey businessman?”

“Well,” Blaine replied. “That’s a generous way of looking at it. I wish my parents thought of me that way.” Blaine’s parents didn’t understand the joy that cutting hair brought to him. They still thought he should be a doctor or lawyer or investment broker. “Well, I got a chance to cut hair when I was taking a semester off from college, and I loved it. There’s nothing quite like the feeling when a man comes in looking a mess and leaves my shop feeling better about himself. When you match the right cut or treatment to the right person, it’s like doing magic.”

“Oh, I completely understand!” Kurt exclaimed. “It’s like finding the right outfit for someone. They walk differently, they move differently, they stand up straighter. It’s like you’ve given them a personality injection.”

“Exactly,” Blaine said, stunned. Nobody ever understood what hair meant to him. Clothes, too. But Blaine only expressed _himself_ through clothes. With hair, he could help other people express _them_ selves, and that was a real gift. The pleasure he got from listening to someone’s problems, making them look better, and cheering them up with an anecdote or a lollipop was very hard to describe, but it had changed his life and he didn’t want to give it up. It’s why he felt good about the hot shave idea--it was another way to change the trajectory of someone’s day, and Blaine loved for everyone to feel good. It was just his nature. And here, for the first time, was someone who understood.

He pulled into the driveway of Kurt’s building. “Do you have a parking spot that came with the apartment? Or should I just wait here?”

“Let me run in and ask the doorman what’s best,” Kurt said. “Since I don’t have a car, I really don’t know.” Kurt ran inside and was back in a moment with a parking pass.

“He said to go around the back and we’ll see a spot for the apartment. It’s 4-D. That’s probably good, because I think between the two of us we can get all the clothes in one trip.”

Blaine drove around the building and found the spot. They walked toward the building and Kurt led the way up to the apartment.

Later, Blaine would wonder exactly what he’d been expecting. He knew that the apartment belonged to Kurt’s aunt, a presumably-old lady who had died. And he knew that Kurt had only arrived the day before yesterday, and wouldn’t have had time to do much decorating on his own. But for some reason, he was not expecting the riot of lace and color that attacked him when he walked into the apartment. He stopped in his tracks.

“I know,” Kurt said. “I didn’t even know her, so I can’t begin to imagine what she was thinking. Anyway, here are the bags of clothes. I’m sure we can manage them in one trip. Should I grab the soldering iron now? Or did you want me to come by the shop some other time?”

Blaine thought fast. Getting the repair done quickly would probably be easiest for Kurt. But Blaine wasn’t doing anything tomorrow, and the shop was closed. He could spend as much time as they needed helping Kurt fix his towel warmer. Or watching Kurt fix his towel warmer. Whatever.

“Why don’t we just take the clothes now, and then we can find a good time for you to fix my warmer.” Blaine blushed. “My towel warmer. Maybe tomorrow, if you’re not doing anything?”

“Well, I was planning to check out the mall Jeff told me about. I need to buy a wireless router, since Aunt Bertie seems to have lived without coffee or wifi. But I guess I won’t be doing that tomorrow, since this is the last county in America stuck in the fifties.”

“You’ll see,” Blaine said. “It’s actually nice when there’s no traffic and you can’t run errands.”

“I can’t imagine a scenario in which not being able to shop could possibly be a good thing,” Kurt retorted.

“Well, we’re in New Jersey. Some of the best malls in the country are here,” Blaine offered.

“I lived in New York for four years. I worked at Vogue.com. You think a Bloomingdales and a Cheesecake Factory is going to turn my head?”

“How about we head over to the recycling center and drop off your bags, and then I’ll take you to the big mall in Paramus?” Blaine suggested. “They have Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus, and they’re open until 9:30.”

“Now you’re speaking my language,” Kurt conceded.

“Burberry,” Blaine teased, in his best sultry voice. “Salvatore Ferragamo, Louis Vuitton…” He picked up two of the big bags full of clothes. Kurt looked a little dazed, but hadn’t moved yet. He stood in the middle of the room, swallowing. Blaine watched his Adam’s apple bob up and down a few times. Then, “Versace,” Blaine whispered. 

Kurt’s skin flushed. His pupils dilated. He suddenly looked devastatingly sexy. He was all brisk movement. He picked up the other two bags and moved purposefully toward the elevator, not even stopping to lock the door behind them. Blaine hurried after him, excited to see what Kurt would be like when they were actually shopping.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not a whole lot happens in this chapter, but it has drunk!Blaine and drunk!Blaine is my favorite.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again for reading and kudos and comments!
> 
> Thanks to Bowtiesandboatshoes for being awesome.
> 
> I'm going to go back and try to put italics into Chapter 3 where needed, but I won't make any other changes, so don't stress if you already read it.

**Kurt**

Kurt woke up early Sunday morning. He made himself some coffee, then started organizing his boxes. He wanted to get more comfortable in Aunt Bertie’s apartment, and he needed to find his soldering iron before he met Blaine for brunch. 

As he worked, he thought back to the evening before. He was a little bit confused. He’d told Blaine about Adam, and got no reaction. So he thought Blaine probably wasn’t interested in him. But then Blaine kept extending the time they were spending together, first postponing when Kurt would go back to fix the towel warmer, so they’d have to see each other again, and then inviting Kurt to the mall. And the way he invited Kurt to the mall! First, that he knew exactly which designer stores were there, like he shopped in them frequently, that was hot all by itself. But then he talked about them in a voice that meant Kurt had to hold very still to restrain himself from attacking Blaine right there in his aunt’s flower-and-lace-covered living room. It was just teasing, Kurt knew, but he did it so well. 

They ate dinner at Ruby Tuesday. Kurt got salad bar. Blaine ordered sliders with fries, and they ate way too many fries, talking about fashion trends and the items they had seen at Burberry that they’d save up for, and the ones they’d only dream about. Kurt had plans to make his own ruffled tunic, and he thought he could make something like the deconstructed trench jacket. Blaine liked the slim fit jeans, and Kurt was determined to find him some quality knock-offs, because he really, really wanted to see Blaine in them. Some things you just do to make the world more beautiful. It would be selfish not to.

Kurt had said as much, and Blaine blushed, but didn’t flirt back. There was no further suggestive naming of designers, and although they talked about seeing a movie sometime as they walked past the movie theater, it turned out there was a puppy store next to the theater. An actual puppy store that sold puppies and puppy supplies, with several different breeds playing in glass pens in the front of the store. And while they both agreed that they were supporters of “adopt, don’t shop,” that didn’t stop Blaine from getting down on his knees in front of the glass and making faces at the puppies, which made Kurt speculate that perhaps puppies should be a controlled substance because the sight of Blaine playing with puppies was so adorable it could kill a person. After all of that, they never got around to actually making a movie date.

But when Blaine had dropped Kurt off outside his building after the mall closed, they had made arrangements to meet at Niff for brunch so that Kurt could go by Blaine’s shop afterwards and fix the towel warmer. So that was a meal they were having, when they could have just met at the shop. Was that a date? Or was Blaine just being nice to someone new in town? It seemed like he ate breakfast at Niff most days anyway, maybe he just thought it would be easier to hang out there until Kurt showed up? 

Once Kurt had set up his sewing machine (he’d have to live with the carpets for a while longer, but slipcovers and curtains were happening as soon as Kurt could get to a fabric store) he felt a little more settled. He located his soldering kit in the box with his other jewelry-making supplies, and then he was ready. He set out for Niff, wondering what the day would bring.

In the hallway, he ran into Irene (thankfully not literally this time). “Kurt!” She greeted him enthusiastically. “It’s good to see you. Are you settling in okay? Anything you need?”

“Well,” Kurt replied. “There is one thing. Can you tell me where there’s a fabric store? I think I’m going to be staying here for a while, and I’d like to make some new curtains and things.”

“My goodness,” Irene said. “I didn’t know people could still do that. Good for you! There’s a Joanne’s up on Route 17. They have fabric, don’t they?”

“They do,” Kurt smiled. “I guess I’ll have to figure out if there’s a bus that goes up there.”

“Or,” Irene said, “maybe you could help me with my grocery shopping. I usually go on Tuesdays, when it’s not so crowded at the Whole Foods. But I can’t buy the bulk items because they’re too heavy for me. So how about you come with me and help me with my shopping, and in exchange, I’ll take you up to Joanne’s? Oh, actually, if we’re going up there, we could shop at Fairway!”

“They have Fairway in New Jersey?” Kurt was excited. It had taken him a couple of years living in New York to discover Fairway, but once he had, he’d fallen in love. There were no grocery stores in Ohio that had such a selection of fresh, organic, international, and freshly baked goods. 

“For several years now,” Irene said. “They have one of the best kosher sections around here. Not that I expect that to concern you, but it matters to me.” 

“I’d be happy to help you carry your groceries, Irene. Thank you so much.” That was good. Kurt had not been looking forward to continued shopping at Target for groceries, and he hadn’t remembered to ask anyone for alternatives in walking distance. He was starting to think there might not be alternatives in walking distance.

“And now,” Kurt continued, holding up his soldering kit, “I need to see a man about a towel warmer.”

Irene looked confused, and Kurt laughed. “I made a friend, and I agreed to fix something for him,” he explained.

“Oh,” Irene said. “Kurt, are we friends?”

“I’d like to think so,” Kurt said.

“Well, then. This new friend of yours: Friend-friend, or euphemism-friend?” She asked, waggling her hand like Anne Bancroft.

“I hadn’t pegged you for a _Torch Song Trilogy_ fan!” Kurt exclaimed.

“And why not?” Irene was indignant. “I told you I go to all the plays, and that includes _Kinky Boots_. I love that Harvey Fierstein. And _Torch Song Trilogy_ is about a Jewish mother. I am a Jewish mother! And I notice you haven’t answered the question.” 

Kurt laughed. “I guess you’re right. And I’m not sure yet what kind of friend he is. He’s sort of sending mixed signals.”

“Good looking?”

“Very.”

“He likes boys?”

“Yes, definitely.”

“Then it’s not up to him.” Irene sounded certain. “You, Kurt Hummel, are not the kind of man a person has mixed feelings about. You want him? Go get him.” And she shooed him toward the elevator.

Kurt went, musing as he walked the few blocks over to Niff. Was Irene right? She was at least partly right. Nobody had ever had mixed feelings about Kurt. Except maybe Dave Karofsky. It had been a bit shocking when Kurt and Rachel had decided to go to Scandals on a college break to see what the gay bars were like back home, and they’d run into a very drunk and very out David, who apologized profusely for the way he’d treated Kurt in high school. But Kurt didn’t want to think about Karofsky.

So, other than Karofsky, everyone Kurt had known seemed to either love him or hate him pretty immediately. And Blaine definitely liked him, that much was clear. But the thought that someone as gorgeous as Blaine could find him attractive? Could have actual feelings for him? That seemed ridiculous. He liked Kurt’s clothes, sure. But Kurt’s clothes were spectacular. Kurt, himself, had never been anyone’s idea of right. He was too feminine, he had that voice. 

He’d thought he and Adam had been in love, but clearly they hadn’t. Adam had fallen in love with someone else, and Kurt was finding more and more that he didn’t really miss Adam that much. What he missed was knowing he was Adam’s Kurt. He knew who Adam’s Kurt was: the singer everyone at NYADA was a little bit afraid of, the leader of Adam’s Apples, the fiance. He knew who Lima Kurt was, too: outspoken fashionista who was everyone’s definition of the word ‘gay,’ loving son/brother/friend, car mechanic. Now he had to figure out who Adult Kurt was. And he didn’t need a boyfriend to figure that out. What he needed was a career path, a place to live, and some time to think. 

So he was sure: Blaine wanted to be friends, he wanted to be friends. 

Kurt walked into Niff feeling much more settled than he had when he woke up. Blaine wanted to be friends, Kurt wanted to be friends. Everything was good. Then he saw Blaine sitting at the counter, an empty seat beside him, looking up at the door because he heard it open, the biggest smile on his face. Kurt’s heart started to pound. He walked over and sat down.

“Jeff!” Blaine called. “Make this man a non-fat mocha. It’s morning and he’ll need his coffee.”

“You know my coffee order?” Kurt asked, his voice small.

“Of course I do!” Blaine said, rolling his eyes.

Blaine knew his coffee order. Huh. 

**Blaine**

Blaine woke up resolved. Kurt had been dropping hints all night that he just wanted to be friends. He was just getting out of an engagement, for goodness’ sake! Blaine couldn’t imagine what that would be like. He’d never even been in love, not really. He thought he was, once or twice, but when the relationships fizzled a month or two later, he realized he’d been deluding himself. He couldn’t imagine being so in love you’d agree to marry someone and then have that fall apart. Kurt must be devastated. He didn’t need someone perving on him, he needed a friend.

Shopping and dinner had been awesome, and Blaine thought maybe Kurt was a little bit interested, but then he walked them all the way to the movie theater to bring up the subject of dates, and Kurt hadn’t seemed interested. Of course he wasn’t interested: why would a guy as beautiful and smart and interesting as Kurt be interested in a barber? But that was okay. Kurt seemed to like Blaine, and it would be nice to have another friend around when Jeff and Nick wanted to go on a date or whatever. 

He heard Nick and Jeff moving around the apartment quietly as they got ready to open the diner. Blaine lay in bed and thought about how he wanted the day to go. He really did hope Kurt would be able to fix his towel warmer. Blaine was getting excited about the prospect of hot shaves. He had learned how to do them as part of his apprenticeship, but had never really had a call to use those skills since then. And the thing he loved most about being a barber was making people feel good. If he did it right, he could offer a bit of pampering to guys on their way to an important meeting or a big date, and help give them the confidence they needed at the right moment. That could be really satisfying.

After that, maybe he could help Kurt clean out the apartment. Kurt’s aunt had had some remarkable taste, evidently, and Kurt would probably appreciate some friendly help to clean things out. And Nick and Jeff would appreciate some alone time on a Sunday, too. So Blaine could please all his friends at once, which would be nice.

Eventually he got up to shower and dress. He dressed carefully. It was his day off, but Kurt would appreciate careful dressing, even if he wasn’t interested in Blaine. And maybe they could talk about fashion some more. It was the kind of thoughtful thing he’d do for any friend, really. Plus, he liked to always look his best. All the time, not today in particular.

He got to Niff earlier than he’d planned, and was disappointed to find that Kurt wasn’t there yet. No matter, Kurt would come. And in the meantime, he’d just sit at the counter and hang out with his best friends like he always did. His best friends Jeff and Nick who were always there for him and suddenly seemed a lot less interesting than they used to be.

Blaine passed the time while he waited for Kurt sipping his coffee and chatting with his friends and some of the regulars. Every time the door opened, he looked over expectantly, and was disappointed when it wasn’t Kurt walking in. At one point, Jeff came back to the counter with a Bloody Mary someone had ordered but decided they didn’t want. Blaine decided he’d have it, and it was delicious. He didn’t drink much, but there wasn’t any reason not to, really. After all, Bloody Marys are yummy. 

Finally, the door opened and it was Kurt. Blaine felt really, really happy to see his friend. He smiled, thinking Kurt looked great and Kurt came to see him and help him out with his problem. It was good to have friends. But Kurt would be cranky without his coffee. Everyone likes coffee in the morning, right? So he asked Jeff to bring Kurt some coffee.

“Jeff! Bring this man a non-fat mocha,” he said. “It’s morning and he’ll need his coffee!” 

Kurt narrowed his eyes. Was Kurt angry at him? Blaine didn’t want Kurt to be angry at him. He’d have to fix that.

“You know my coffee order?” Kurt asked.

Blaine rolled his eyes. Of course he knew Kurt’s coffee order. Kurt was the most fascinating thing Blaine had ever encountered. He spent a lot of time cataloguing the details about Kurt he’d been able to learn in the last few days. Because he was a good friend and that’s what friends do. No other reason.

“Of course I do,” he replied.

Kurt didn’t say anything, but he looked thoughtful instead of angry. Thoughtful was better, right? But Blaine wanted Kurt to smile. Kurt’s smile was so pretty. Kurt liked clothes. Blaine knew what would make him smile.

“Did you notice my tie, Kurt?” Blaine asked. “I got it from Jesse Tyler Ferguson. He designed it with his husband. It’s a gay bow tie, Kurt!” 

It worked! Kurt smiled at him. Then Kurt tilted his head to the side like a cat. It was the cutest head tilt ever.

“Have you been drinking, Blaine?” Kurt asked. Nick walked by just then.

“He only had one Bloody Mary,” Nick said. “But he’s a lightweight, and he wouldn’t eat until you got here. He’ll be seriously happy for the next hour or so. Just don’t let him get in a car.” Nick patted Blaine on the back and went back to work.

“Do you always tilt your head like that when you’re thinking?” Blaine asked. “Or is it only when you’re looking at me?” He batted his eyelashes.

Kurt smiled again and laughed a little bit. It was lovely to watch. Blaine thought Kurt should always be laughing. The world would be a better place if Kurt was always laughing.

“The world would be a better place if you were always laughing,” Blaine said.

“Okay,” Kurt replied. “But how ‘bout we order some breakfast now that I’m here?”

Kurt ordered for himself and somehow Nick brought food for both of them. Food was good. It made him feel full and yummy and not so giddy when he looked at Kurt.

“So,” said Kurt as he started to eat. “You don’t drink much?”

“Not usually,” Blaine said thoughtfully. “But Jeffy had an extra Bloody Mary and they’re yummy and I was waiting for you and I didn’t want to eat until you got here so I drank the Bloody Mary and it was tasty. And now you’re here. Thanks for coming, Kurt.”

“You’re welcome,” Kurt said. He was smiling again. “Next time you might want to eat a little something before you drink, though.”

Blaine wanted Kurt to be happy, so he focused on his brunch. 

Jeff came over then. “Cutest thing ever, right?” He said to Kurt with a smile and a wink. Blaine though Jeff must be talking about Kurt, but Nick wasn’t getting mad this time. Then he saw Kurt smiling at Jeff and nodding and got confused. He looked at Jeff for answers, but Jeff just patted him on the head and went back to work.

“Let’s finish up our eggs,” Kurt said. “And then we’ll go take another look at your towel warmer.”

As they walked over to the barber shop, Blaine stole some glances at Kurt. He knew that Kurt wasn’t interested in him, he knew it. But Kurt was just so beautiful it was hard not to look sometimes. Looking at Kurt just made him happy in a way he’d never felt before. And the idea that Kurt could fix things was so impressive. Kurt was beautiful and smart and talented and Blaine understood why Kurt didn’t want to be his boyfriend, he just couldn’t understand why Kurt even wanted to be his friend. Blaine felt really lucky.

“Thanks again for helping me with the towel warmer, Kurt,” he said.

“It’s no problem, really,” Kurt answered. “It shouldn’t take more than a minute, now that I know what’s broken, and it’s what friends do for each other, right?”

“Yeah, friends.” Blaine said. “That’s what we are, right? We’re friends.”

“Yes,” Kurt continued. “So I’m happy to help you out. And I’m all for supporting the cause of skin care. It’s something I believe in quite firmly.”

“I just want to help people feel good,” Blaine said. “I just want to cut hair and help people.”

“I know you do,” Kurt said. 

By then they were at the shop and Blaine unlocked the door. Kurt was able to fix the towel warmer quickly, just like he thought. Blaine watched him do it, admiring Kurt’s long, dexterous fingers and the keen look in his eye as he concentrated. He wondered what it would be like to have those eyes concentrated on him the way they were looking at the insides of the towel warmer. What Kurt could do to him with those fingers if he tried. And then he sighed, because he knew that would never happen.

“What’s with the sighing?” Kurt asked. “I’ve got this all fixed now.”

“Oh,” Blaine said. “I’m just tired, I guess.”

“I’ve got you at work on your day off,” Kurt said. “You should be relaxing. What do you usually do on Sundays?”

“Kurt, you’re here doing me a favor so I can have a fully functional business tomorrow,” Blaine replied. “But, I don’t know. I guess I mostly just hang around Niff until Jeff and Nick are done for the day, then we watch movies and stuff.” 

“Well,” Kurt said. “My aunt had a pretty nice TV. We could go back to mine and see if there’s anything good in her DVD collection.”

“That sounds perfect,” Blaine said. He couldn’t believe he’d get to spend the afternoon with Kurt.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fred and Ginger make some magic. Then life intervenes. Nick and Jeff are excellent friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again for the comments and kudos. I'm loving them! 
> 
> All Fred and Ginger references are accurate. Go ahead--look them up. 
> 
> Thanks to Bowtiesandboatshoes for beta-ing.

**Kurt**

They spent the afternoon sorting things out in Kurt’s apartment--he just couldn’t sit in a living room full of boxes--and watching movies. Aunt Bertie had all the Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers movies on DVD, and Kurt loved the inevitability of Fred and Ginger falling in love. Blaine loved the dancing. They both loved the costumes and hair and manners and singing and ridiculous jokes.

By supper time, they had the living room cleared out. Most of Kurt’s boxes had been clothes, of course, and since that was done and Kurt’s sewing things were already set up, all that was really left was books and kitchen things. What little furniture Kurt had decided to bring with him had gone straight to Aunt Bertie’s storage area in the basement. They sorted through Bertie’s kitchen, keeping a few things that Kurt didn’t have, replacing the rest and packing away Bertie’s things into the boxes to bring to Goodwill sometime soon. Blaine found an omelette pan that Kurt said he could have (Kurt already had one). 

When the second movie ( _The Gay Divorcee_ ) was done , Kurt was hungry, and surprised to find himself leaning on Blaine’s shoulder, Blaine’s arm around him, leaning on the back of the lacy couch. He sat up and looked at Blaine. He noticed the different facets of color in Blaine’s eyes, and his impossibly long eyelashes. Then his gaze dropped to Blaine’s unbelievably perfect lips. It was not fair for one man to be this beautiful. He shook himself a little, and told himself to focus on something else.

“Are you hungry?” He asked. “Is there somewhere around here to order Chinese food? Is Chinese food in New Jersey any good?” 

“Oh, yeah,” Blaine answered. “I mean, there’s a range, of course, and it’s not like Chinatown around here, but people this close to New York know what good Chinese food is. Though if you really want good delivery, New Jersey’s best kept secret is the pizza.”

“Pizza? Really?” Kurt was surprised. “I thought New York was the place for pizza. You know, Famous Ray’s and all that? Brooklyn Pizza?”

“Yeah, they’d have you think that,” Blaine said. “But the best New York Style pizza is actually found in New Jersey.” Before Kurt could say anything, Blaine opened a contact on his phone and ordered a large pie with cheese and a salad to be delivered to Kurt’s apartment.

They settled back into the couch then, Kurt turning towards Blaine so there would be no chance of repeating the accidental cuddling. He tried to puzzle Blaine out. All day, it had seemed like Blaine was into him, but Blaine never brought anything up about dating or asked personal questions. They had just moved through their day almost in parallel: spending time together but somehow never quite intersecting. Well, except for the cuddling. 

Suddenly, Blaine blurted out, “How do you get unengaged? I mean, if it’s not too personal. You don’t have to answer. It’s just, I’ve been wondering since you said it yesterday, and you seemed so casual about it, but it doesn’t seem like a casual thing at all, really, it seems like it would be a really big deal to get engaged and then--” Kurt put his hand on Blaine’s to still him.

Then Kurt sighed. Blaine looked pained. And Kurt started to talk.

“I met Adam my freshman year at NYADA. He was a senior. He ran an a cappella group called Adam’s Apples, and he asked me to join. It looked like fun, so I signed up. And I liked Adam, so I asked him out for coffee.” 

“One thing led to another and we became a couple. Everyone liked us together, the people in Adam’s Apples were cool and they became my friends. When Adam graduated, I became the leader of Adam’s Apples, which was fun. I’d been living with Rachel and our friend Santana in Bushwick, and it was a bit crowded and Adam was moving anyway and it just made sense for us to move in together, so we did. The summer between my junior and senior years, he proposed. It was the logical next step, so I said yes.”

“Then we both went home for Christmas my senior year. Last Christmas.” Kurt sighed. He couldn’t believe it had only been a year. 

“Adam is British and while he was home in England, he met a guy. It didn’t seem like a big deal. The guy knew he was engaged and Adam didn’t cheat on me or anything, but they stayed in touch and over the next six months or so, it became clear that Adam was falling in love with this guy.” And Kurt had realized that what he felt for Adam wasn’t love, not really. Not the romantic, once-in-a-lifetime love he’d always dreamed about. He liked Adam, and he cared for him, and they’d built a life together for more than three years, but they weren’t really passionate about each other. 

“Last summer, Adam got a job in England and went off to be with him, and that was it. He’s a good guy, so he kept paying his share of the rent until the lease ended, which was last week.”

“Oh, Kurt,” Blaine said. 

And just then the doorbell rang. Kurt went to get the pizza, and they ate. Blaine had been right. The pizza was amazing.

After that, they decided to watch another movie, and who knew _Top Hat_ was so erotic? Kurt sighed when he saw Ginger Rogers’ feathered dress, and lay down, putting his feet in Blaine’s lap. Blaine laughed when Fred Astaire climbed out the window and shifted them both so he was spooned up behind Kurt, and gently trailed his hand across Kurt’s chest for a while. When Ginger Rogers started to sing “The Piccolino,” Blaine nuzzled under Kurt’s ear. Kurt was surprised, and for about half a second, he wondered what it meant. But when he turned to look questioningly at Blaine, he saw unbridled want in Blaine’s eyes, and he dove in for a kiss, which was met with an enthusiastic response from Blaine. 

Kurt didn’t want to think. He was overwhelmed by desire, so he stood up, took Blaine by the hand, and nodded toward the bedroom in invitation. 

 

**************

Kurt woke up at his normal time and stretched. Something was strange. It wasn’t the normal weird missing-Adam thing. It was...Blaine. Blaine had gone to sleep here last night after amazing sex and now his side of the bed was cold and empty. He’d been gone for a while. 

Kurt got up and threw on a robe. He saw that Blaine’s clothes were gone and his own clothes had been carefully picked up and folded. The bathrooms were empty. He went into the kitchen and found the coffee maker cold and unused. Blaine was gone. He started the coffee maker and got into the shower while the coffee brewed. He needed to think.

Everything had seemed fine last night. They hadn’t really talked after Kurt had spilled his guts about Adam, because there hadn’t been time. By the time the movie was over, they were involved in other things, and when they were done they both passed out pretty quickly.

It was that good.

But they needed to talk. Kurt still needed to figure out a lot of things about who he was, and he wasn’t a hundred percent sure what he wanted from Blaine. A huge part of him wanted to fall madly in love and be boyfriends and live happily ever after, but Kurt had just tried that with Adam. It might not be a good idea to rush into another relationship. And since they hadn’t talked, Kurt wasn’t even sure what last night meant to Blaine. But he knew he definitely wanted Blaine around in some capacity, so they had to talk. Which meant he’d have to find Blaine.

So where was Blaine now? Kurt drank his coffee, wondering if he should send a text. Maybe Blaine had just remembered an errand, or something? An errand he had to run at 6am that he couldn’t explain with a note or text. Where would Blaine go?

Kurt went to Niff. Blaine wasn’t there, but of course Jeff and Nick were. Kurt tried casually asking if they’d seen Blaine. They hadn’t, but that wasn’t unusual. Although the three of them shared an apartment, Blaine’s shop opened much later than Niff did, so they often didn’t see him until he came in for his morning coffee. It was late for that, but sometimes he made coffee at home or in the shop if he was running late.

Then Jeff got a text, and looked at Nick in alarm. Nick looked at Jeff’s phone and nodded. Jeff walked out.

Nick went back to running the diner.

Kurt was scared now. Something was going on. He suspected it had to do with Blaine. Of course, it could be anything--he didn’t even know Nick and Jeff that well. Maybe they had a sick puppy. Maybe there was a sale on somewhere. That would be an awfully big coincidence, though. Blaine disappeared from Kurt’s bed and didn’t show up at Niff for coffee, and Jeff got a worrying text. Kurt thought the text had to have been from Blaine. But he wasn’t going to get the answer from Nick unless he told him why he wanted to know.

“Nick,” he said. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”

Nick came over, clearly ready to listen to whatever it was.

“Um,” Kurt started, “I’m usually a pretty private person but, uh, Blaine spent the night at my place last night.”

“Oh, crap,” Nick said. Not quite the reaction Kurt was expecting. “And that’s why you’re looking for him? Because when you woke up, he was gone?”

“Yeah,” Kurt said. “Why, does he do this a lot?”

“No,” Nick said. “He’s not a jerk. In fact, he doesn’t sleep with guys much and he’s definitely not known for one-night stands. But he was definitely home when I got up this morning.”

“I didn’t think it was a one-night stand,” Kurt said. “I mean, we didn’t talk about it, it just sort of happened, but we’ve been getting to know each other and I want to...um...keep getting to know each other. At least, that’s where I thought we were going.”

Nick was quiet for a while. He seemed to be weighing something. When he finally spoke, Kurt thought maybe he could have weighed a little more.

“Kurt,” Nick said. “Has Blaine talked to you about...has he told you about when he started cutting hair?”

Kurt thought about that. He wasn’t sure what that had to do with whether or not he’d just had a one-night stand, but Nick seemed to think it was important. “Well, he said it was when he took a semester off from college.”

“Okay,” Nick took a deep breath. “Then you’re going to have to wait until he decides to talk to you. I wish I could tell you what was going on, but I don’t really know, and the parts I do know are not something I feel like I should be the one to tell you.”

“Okay,” Kurt said. He wasn’t sure what was going on, but he didn’t want to ask Nick to betray Blaine’s confidence. 

“What I will do,” Nick continued. “What Jeff and I will do, is encourage him to talk to you. You’re a good guy, and I think you could be good for Blaine. You know, if things go that way.” Kurt nodded. He knew Nick wasn’t trying to pressure him into anything. “But right now, you should go home and go about your day and Blaine will get in touch with you when he’s ready.”

Kurt was not expecting this day to go this way, but what could he do? He went home and started looking through cabinets and closets, seeing what else needed to be cleaned out. He was looking for Aunt Bertie’s financial files, as that was the bulk of the work he’d need to do as Executor of her will. 

It finally occurred to him to check the closets near the door. He had assumed they were coat closets, and one of them was, but the second one was a large storage space filled with boxes. He was about to lift the lid off the first one when his phone rang. It was Jeff, which was odd, so Kurt answered right away.

“Kurt!” Jeff said. “I need your help. With--with Blaine.”

“What?” Kurt was concerned. “Is Blaine okay?”

“Yes,” Jeff said. “Well, I mean, he’s uh--he’s sick. But he’s okay.”

“How sick?” Kurt asked, trying to stay calm. He was good in a crisis, but after the weird conversation with Nick earlier, and now this, he was really confused and kind of worried and feeling very, very out of the loop.

“Well,” Jeff said. “It’s nothing he hasn’t lived through before, but we don’t want to leave him alone. I was staying with him, but Nick just called and apparently there’s some Broadway chick at Niff and all the old people from the neighborhood started calling each other to come down and now the place is packed and he can’t handle it by himself. If I could just stay until closing, Nick can clean up by himself, or I can. One of us can come back here. But we need someone to stay with Blaine now. He’s sleeping. I don’t think he’ll wake up until dinner time, but I’d rather not leave him alone, just in case. Can you come over?”

Kurt was definitely confused, but Nick and Jeff were his friends, and Blaine was...also a friend, so how could he say no? “I’ll be right over,” he said.

He figured he’d need something to keep him busy if Blaine was sleeping, so he grabbed one of the boxes from Aunt Bertie’s closet and walked over to Blaine, Nick and Jeff’s place. Jeff thanked him and left right away, leaving Kurt alone until Niff closed.

**Blaine**

When Blaine woke up, he felt like everything was perfect. Kurt was snuggled up behind him, and Blaine felt surrounded by his warmth. Kurt’s arms around him made him feel safe and cared for. It was early, and the dawn light was filtering gently into the room. 

Suddenly, Blaine’s eyes shot wide in alarm. He didn’t have his meds.

Of course he didn’t. He hadn’t meant to stay the night--he had only come over to watch a movie yesterday afternoon. Late morning, really. But one thing led to another, and what with the amazing sex, and the cuddly cuddles, Blaine wasn’t thinking about morning. So he was here and he didn’t have his meds and he hadn’t even told Kurt he was on meds. What would Kurt think about that? Blaine didn’t want to know. He did know. Kurt would run screaming. Of course he would. There’s no way he’d want Blaine in his life once he knew. 

Blaine did the only thing he could think of--he bolted. He got up and found his clothes, folding Kurt’s clothes neatly as he went, and leaving them on a lacy, paisley armchair in the bedroom. He grabbed his coat, made sure he had his wallet and phone, and went home to take his meds.

When he got there, Nick and Jeff were still sleeping, so he went back to bed for a while. When he woke up again, they were gone. He knew he should get up, but he didn’t want to. He lay in his bed, thinking about what Kurt would do when he found out. It would be awful. Kurt was perfect in every way, and Blaine was a disaster who couldn’t even get his towel heater to work. There was no way he could go to work today. There was no way he could do anything today. 

He thought about going over to Niff for some coffee and breakfast, but he didn’t deserve coffee or breakfast. He’d just abandoned Kurt and now Kurt would be wondering where he was and probably thinking Blaine didn’t want to be with him, when that was all Blaine wanted. He thought about sending Kurt a text, but what would he say? He couldn’t possibly explain in a text. The only thing he could do was tell Kurt to come over, and if Kurt came over, Blaine would have to talk to him, and that definitely wasn’t happening. He had to get up and go to work. Where Kurt would no doubt find him and ask him why he left. 

There was only one thing to do. He took his emergency pill and texted Jeff. That was the emergency plan, so that’s what he did. He took the pill. He texted Jeff. He went back to bed.

************

Blaine woke up some time that afternoon to the most beautiful sound he’d ever heard in his life. It was coming from the living room. It wasn’t easy, but he got up and walked to the bedroom door, where he saw Kurt standing with his back to him, holding something and singing. 

_Blackbird singing in the dead of night,  
Take these broken wings and learn to fly.  
All your life,  
You were only waiting for this moment to arise._

Blaine had heard Kurt sing long ago in high school and been blown away. But this put that performance to shame. Kurt’s voice was emotional, ethereal, and it made Blaine want to come back. 

_Blackbird singing in the dead of night,  
Take these sunken eyes and learn to see.  
All your life,  
You were only waiting for this moment to be free._

It was hard to think through the medication, but Blaine knew something important was happening. The connection he felt to Kurt was more than friendship, more than lust. It was important, essential even, to who he was supposed to be. Listening to Kurt sing made Blaine want to connect with Kurt, but it also made him want to be connected to the world in a way he hadn’t felt in a long time. He wasn’t sure how he could do that, but he knew he would.

But right now, Blaine needed more sleep. He got back in bed but left the door ajar so he could hear the rest of the song. He drifted off into a dreamless sleep, listening to the sound of Kurt’s voice. He’d find a way to fix things when he woke up.

***********************

The next thing he knew, it was dark out. He walked out into the living room to find Nick and Jeff sitting on the couch together. Nick was reading a book and Jeff was doing something on his laptop. They both looked up when he came in, relief in their eyes. They’d known him long enough to understand with a glance that he was better.

“Was Kurt here? Or did I dream it?” Blaine asked.

“Uh,” Jeff looked uncomfortable. “He was here for an hour or so this afternoon. The restaurant got busy and Nick needed my help. We didn’t tell Kurt anything, though. We just said you were sick and sleeping and we didn’t want to leave you alone. I’m sorry. I didn’t know what else to do.”

It was real then. Even after Blaine had walked out on Kurt, Kurt had been willing to come over to sit with him. Blaine wondered what Kurt must be thinking. He’d have to talk to him as soon as possible. Jeff was looking at him.

“What?” Blaine said.

“Are you mad?” Jeff asked. “That I asked Kurt to come over?”

“No,” Blaine said. “I’m glad he was here. Just...how angry is he?”

“I don’t think he’s angry,” Nick said, “so much as confused. You need to tell him.”

“I know,” Blaine said. “I need to tell him. I’m going to tell him.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kurt learns about Aunt Bertie while he cares for a sleeping Blaine. 
> 
> When he wakes up, Blaine goes to Kurt's place to explain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You are the sweetest! All your comments make me want to keep publishing! I've come to the end of the pre-Beta'd chapters, so it might take me a little bit longer between posts. But we'll work as fast as we can. 
> 
> Thanks as always to Bowtiesandboatshoes.

**Kurt**

Jeff left quickly and Kurt was alone. He set Aunt Bertie’s box on the coffee table and helped himself to a glass of water from the kitchen. He stood awkwardly in the living room for a moment, drinking his water, and then decided he’d better check on Blaine before he settled down to work. 

He still didn’t know what was wrong with Blaine, but when he looked in on him, Blaine seemed to be sleeping peacefully. There was no visible sign of fever, no bucket strategically left beside the bed. Blaine’s clothes from last night had been tossed over a chair, and Kurt could see a bare shoulder peeking out from the duvet, suggesting that Blaine had tossed off his clothes and gotten into bed pretty directly after returning from Kurt’s place, though perhaps he slept in pajama pants. Kurt wouldn’t know. As intimate as they’d been last night, it wasn’t like Kurt actually knew Blaine well. They’d only known each other for a few days, and the connection Kurt felt, or maybe imagined, wasn’t founded on familiarity.

Kurt sighed and closed the door carefully, then turned to Aunt Bertie’s box.

He’d been in such a hurry to get to Blaine that he had grabbed the first box he saw. It was a banker’s box with handles and a removable lid, so it was easy to transport, and while Kurt could tell by the weight that the box was full, it wasn’t too heavy to carry a few blocks. Now Kurt opened the lid.

There was a lot in the box, all of it well-worn. Kurt pulled out some old records and set them on the table. There was a bundle of letters tied up lovingly with a ribbon. Some black and white photos of a teenage couple. An engagement ring (which Kurt made note of, as it would be something he’d have to include in the estate for tax purposes.) An official portrait of a soldier, which Kurt recognized as the boy from the other photos. And several notebooks full of writing. 

He opened one of the letters and read:

_December 15, 1969  
Fort Dix, NJ_

_My Dearest Roberta,_

_I miss you like breathing. I can’t believe I had to leave before our wedding. I want nothing more than to be with you. I’m sending you some of our records so you can play them and think of me. Remember the first time we listened to_ The White Album? _I’m going to think about every second of that night while I lie in my bunk tonight._

_There are about twenty guys sleeping in my barracks, from all over the country…._

Kurt saw the note was signed “Johnny,” but he wasn’t interested in military history, so he opened one of the notebooks and saw that it was Bertie’s journal from around the same time.

_December 24, 1969_

_It’s Christmas Eve and I can’t believe Johnny isn’t here. He’s still at Fort Dix, so I know he’s not in danger yet, but I just wish he was here to hold me and celebrate Christmas with us. I can’t believe we’re not getting married in a few weeks._

_I put on one of our records and danced in my room with one of Johnny’s old shirts. It still smells like him, a little bit, but it’s not the same. Mama keeps saying she’s glad I’m still home with her, but I’m not glad. I miss Johnny’s voice, his touch, his smell. Everything about him._

Kurt flipped to another page.

_January 17, 1970_

_Every day brings us one day closer to Johnny shipping out. I hate the draft. I want to talk to Johnny, but I can’t just call him up at the base._

_My friend is late this month. I hope Johnny comes home for a few days before he ships out. I’ll still be 17, but maybe I can convince Mama to sign for me and we can get married anyway. I hate the thought of not being his wife when he’s over in Vietnam, and I’m scared of what people will think after a few months…_

_February 4, 1970_

_Johnny just called and he won’t be able to come home for more than a day. That means we won’t have time to get a marriage license before he leaves, so no wedding._

_My friend still hasn’t come and I don’t know what I’m going to do._

Kurt was surprised. Up until now, he’d only thought of Bertie as a dead woman with bad taste in furniture. But here was a girl in love, separated from her boyfriend and possibly pregnant. Kurt started to feel for Bertie. What must her life have been like? 

As Kurt read on, he became more and more engrossed in the love story of Bertie and Johnny. He read voraciously, trying to figure out what had happened and why he had never met Bertie. His parents valued family above everything, so how could his mother have had an aunt that Kurt never knew?

The story became more and more clear as he read on. Johnny was one of the first lottery draft picks of Vietnam, at the end of 1969. He was sent to Fort Dix for six weeks of training and then immediately sent to Vietnam, where he found himself in the worst of the fighting. Shortly after that, he was killed, leaving Bertie alone and, as it turned out, pregnant.

As the months went on, Bertie couldn’t hide her condition from her mother. Eventually, she was sent away to cousins, where she had the baby, and--Kurt gasped when he read this--her parents gave the baby away to her married sister in Ohio. 

Bertie wasn’t only Kurt’s great-aunt. She was also his biological grandmother. 

After that, it seems that Bertie separated herself from her family because it was too painful for her to see Johnny’s baby being raised by her sister, and she couldn’t keep up the lie. Her parents threatened her if she told anyone the secret, so she got a job at Woolworth’s in Hackensack and moved to this apartment, which she decorated lovingly with flowers and lace, exactly the way she had dreamed of decorating the place where she would have lived with Johnny. 

And Bertie had lived every day waiting to be reunited with her sweetheart in heaven. 

Kurt stood up so he could reach the record albums then. He wondered what songs were so important to Bertie and Johnny that she had kept them her whole life. One of them was _The White Album_ by The Beatles. Kurt had always loved that record. His parents had loved The Beatles and he had always felt close to his mother when he listened to them. But now he scanned the song titles with tears on his cheeks as he thought about Bertie’s sad life. One of the titles caught his eye, and he began to sing.

_Blackbird singing in the dead of night,_  
Take these broken wings and learn to fly.  
All your life,  
You were only waiting for this moment to arise. 

Kurt thought about Bertie waiting her whole life to be free of pain, and he wished he had known her. He wished he could have helped her to find happiness somehow. Maybe another love? But a love like that only comes once in a life, Kurt was sure. 

_Blackbird singing in the dead of night,_  
Take these sunken eyes and learn to see.  
All your life,  
You were only waiting for this moment to be free. 

Kurt thought about how different he felt about the end of his own engagement. He had loved Adam, sure, but his love was nothing like what Bertie described. When Adam left, Kurt had been more insulted than broken-hearted. 

_Blackbird fly, blackbird fly,  
Into the light of the dark black night_

_Blackbird fly, blackbird fly,  
Into the light of the dark black night._

Kurt finished the song and felt lighter. He felt like he knew Bertie a little bit better, and he looked forward to learning more of her story as he cleaned the rest of the apartment. It felt good to know that someone would carry on knowledge of who she was. And he felt like she had finally flown and was free. Though he didn’t believe in god or an afterlife, he hoped she was reunited with her Johnny somehow.

After a while, Nick came and told Kurt he could go. Kurt wanted to ask questions about Blaine, but he could see that Nick wasn’t going to answer them, so he just asked Nick to have Blaine call him when he could, and he went home. He felt really confused about Blaine, but he figured Blaine’s disappearance that morning must have something to do with his sickness, so he’d just have to wait until Blaine was awake and able to talk to him. At least he had hope. Blaine wasn’t dead. Kurt found that oddly comforting.

As Kurt walked home, he passed the diner and saw a crowd dispersing. In the center of the crowd was a tiny woman with dark hair who was signing autographs. Suddenly, Kurt realized he recognized her, just as she looked up and saw him.

“Kurt!” Rachel called out. “I was just coming to find you at your new apartment. I got off the train and found this lovely restaurant, and someone recognized me. Can you believe it?”

Kurt could believe it. He could believe she had announced in a loud voice, “Look! It’s Rachel Berry, Broadway star!” But she didn’t necessarily. Obviously, if Irene knew who she was, and Blaine did, then other people in the neighborhood might have recognized her. 

“I’m just going home now,” he said. “Come visit for a while.” Rachel fell happily into step with him and they walked back to his apartment, where he put Bertie’s box carefully back into the storage closet for later.

“Oh, I love what you’ve done with the place!” Rachel exclaimed. Kurt was confused until he realized she was talking about all the lace and flowers. She liked it. Of course she did. This was the same girl who wore carousel horse sweaters and knee socks. Kurt rolled his eyes and went into the kitchen to make some tea.

**Blaine**

Once Blaine resolved to tell Kurt, he didn’t want to waste any time. Either Kurt wouldn’t want to deal with him, or he’d understand. Blaine wanted to know so he could go forward. He didn’t want to have more days like today if he could help it, even though he was proud that he’d gotten through it the way he was supposed to. It still sucked, and he was pretty sure Kurt deserved to be angry at him. 

He ate some leftovers from Nick and Jeff’s dinner, then he showered, dressed carefully, and went straight over to Kurt’s place. It was still early evening, so he hoped Kurt would be there. The doorman didn’t stop him, so he went right up to Kurt’s place and knocked on the door.

He wasn’t expecting Kurt to have company. Kurt had only just opened the door when Rachel Berry came swooping in, linking her arm in his and bringing him into the apartment. 

“And who is THIS,” Rachel asked. “Kurt, you must introduce me to your very handsome friend!”

“I’m Blaine,” Blaine said. 

“Well, Blaine,” Rachel gushed. “Tell me all about yourself. How do you and Kurt know each other?”

Kurt rolled his eyes and tried to intervene. “Rachel, leave him alone. He’s just been sick.” Kurt pulled Rachel off of Blaine and Blaine had a moment to look at Kurt while Kurt considered him.

“You look better,” Kurt said softly. “Are you okay? Nick and Jeff wouldn’t tell me what was wrong.”

Blaine didn’t know what to say. He needed to explain to Kurt why he’d left, but it was private. He didn’t want to talk to him in front of Rachel Berry. It was bad enough he had to tell Kurt. It was bad enough that he’d already confused Kurt and Kurt probably thought Blaine had left because he didn’t care or was ashamed of last night or something, and Kurt would never want to see him again. 

Blaine looked back and forth between Kurt and Rachel, not sure how to answer.

“Of course he’s fine, look at him!” Rachel said. “He’s healthy as a horse. Now, you didn’t answer my question, Mr.--?”

Great. Now Kurt would think he’d been lying about being sick, and Nick and Jeff had been lying too. Which they had, sort of. He was physically fine. But it wasn’t actually a lie. He was sick. Blaine realized Rachel Berry was looking at him expectantly. He realized he knew the answer to her unasked question. “Anderson,” he said, still looking back and forth between Kurt and Rachel.

“Mr. Anderson,” Rachel repeated. “Not Jewish then, but it’s a good last name. You always come first in alphabetical order, and everyone knows how to spell it.” She sounded like she approved. Blaine had never considered his last name to be something that needed approval before. 

“Rachel, stop it,” Kurt said sharply. “Blaine came here to see me, and he doesn’t want to marry you or father your children.”

Blaine looked up sharply at that. No, he didn’t want to do those things.

“Well, you never know, Kurt,” Rachel said. “And it’s always good to think of the potential impact on one’s future offspring.”

Blaine’s eyes went wide. She wanted him to father her children? After knowing him for less than five minutes? Why would anyone want him to father their children? He was too short, for one thing. And he hadn’t even graduated from college. And he messed everything up except the shop. Here he was, messing things up with Kurt right now. He didn’t know how to fix it. And now he was being vetted as a sperm donor? Or--worse? He couldn’t stay here.

“I’m gay,” Blaine said. “And I have to go.”

“Blaine, wait!” Kurt said.

But Blaine had to get out of that room. He walked to the door and out, running down the nearest stairwell so he didn’t have to wait for the elevator. He heard Kurt calling to him, but didn’t turn around. Hopefully, the stairwell door had closed quickly enough that Kurt wouldn’t be able to follow him.

He ran out into the night, breathing hard. He worked on deep breathing as he walked back to his apartment, but that only kept him from breaking down on the street. When he opened his door, he locked eyes with Jeff, who asked him a silent question.

Blaine shook his head, ran into his bedroom, and broke down in tears. He didn’t know what to do next.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rachel visits with Kurt. Jeff stands up for Blaine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought I was safe from the antics of Ryan Murphy, given that Glee has been over for two years. However, I apologize to the readers of the future if my Versace joke ends up being really creepy. 
> 
> I'm going to do my best to post daily until the fic is done. 
> 
> Thanks as always to Bowtiesandboatshoes!

**Kurt**

“I love everything about this apartment,” Rachel said, as they ate Chinese food in Aunt Bertie’s dining room. “But I think my favorite thing is the location.”

“Really?” Asked Kurt. “I’m surprised. I didn’t think you liked New Jersey.”

“Don’t be silly,” Rachel said. “I don’t know anything about New Jersey. But any building on the corner of Berry Street gets my approval. Do you think you could petition them to name it Rachel Berry Street?”

“I don’t think that’s happening any time soon,” Kurt sighed. “But maybe someday.”

“I need something to be named after me,” Rachel argued. “It might be my only legacy.”

“What are you talking about?”

Rachel sighed. “I just--” she began. “It’s been so long since Finn.”

Kurt wasn’t sure where Rachel was going with this, but he was willing to wait. Finn’s death was a pain the two of them shared, and Kurt knew how hard it was to talk about. And being able to talk about him with another person who knew and loved him was a special thing. 

“I still love him, Kurt.”

“I know, Rachel. I do, too. We always will.”

“But I--” Rachel stopped again. Kurt waited again. “I want to fall in love, get married, have babies. And it won’t be Finn. It was supposed to be Finn.’

Kurt put his arms around Rachel then. There was nothing else he could do. He wished he could make this easier for Rachel. Hell, he wished he could bring Finn back. But he couldn’t. It sucked. The only thing he could do was remind Rachel that they were going through this together, and always would be. 

After a while, Rachel took a deep breath and composed herself. Kurt sat back down at the table and waited. He knew from experience that Rachel would move on to another topic when she was ready. 

“So, have you had any auditions lately?” She finally asked.

“Not recently,” Kurt replied. “You know, it’s so hard to find parts for my voice. I’m thinking maybe I should go in another direction.”

“What kind of direction?” Rachel asked sharply. Of course she wanted Kurt to do exactly what she did. That was just Rachel.

“I’m not sure,” Kurt said. “Maybe fashion? I really liked working at Vogue.com, and Isabelle has a lot of connections. I don’t really know, though. I get to live here for a few months while I clean everything out. I’m sort of taking it as a chance to rethink things.”

“What kind of things?” Rachel asked. “You know you’re a performer, Kurt. What’s this about?”

Kurt rolled his eyes. Rachel wouldn’t hear that Kurt wanted something different from what she wanted, so she wasn’t the person to talk to about his career problems. “There is something else,” he said. “I feel like I don’t know who I’m supposed to be.”

“Who you’re supposed to be?” Rachel asked. “You’re Kurt Hummel. My best friend. The most fashionable man in New York. The best singer at NYADA.”

“But I’m not at NYADA anymore. And I don’t live in New York. I’m not the head of Adam’s Apples. I’m not Adam’s fiance. And I’m okay with all of that, but I need to figure out who I am without it.”

“Well,” Rachel said thoughtfully. “Maybe we should give up.”

“Give up?”

“Yes,” Rachel said. “I’m never going to get Finn back, and you’re never going to get Adam back.”

“I hardly think the two are the same,” Kurt said. “Or even similar. I never loved Adam like you loved Finn. And Adam’s just in England.”

“Well,” Rachel said. “I need a new plan. Maybe I’ll just find a nice Jewish boy with a good last name and make a life with him. Someone with good genes who will make a good dad. I don’t need that kind of passionate love. I’ll just find someone I can live with.”

“Rachel,” Kurt said. “You’re still young. We’ve just graduated college. Maybe it’s a little soon to give up completely.”

“Exactly!” Rachel said victoriously. “That’s why you’re going to keep auditioning, so we can be on Broadway together, just like we always planned.”

Kurt just nodded. Sometimes it was best to just let Rachel have her ideas for a while.

“I have another idea!” Rachel said brightly. Kurt cringed inside, but she continued. “Let’s have a girls’ night.”

“That’s actually a pretty good idea,” Kurt agreed. “When I get the apartment set up, let’s call Mercedes and Tina and see if they can come for a visit. We can have one of our sleepovers like in the old days!”

“Yes,” Rachel said. “With movies and makeovers and gossip.”

“Girl, you had me at makeover!” Kurt enthused.

They had just finished eating when Kurt was surprised to hear a knock on the door, and was even more surprised when he opened the door and found Blaine. Then, of course, Rachel had been her worst self when Kurt could tell Blaine was upset about something. Of course he was. He disappeared overnight and then spent the day in bed. Something wasn’t right, and now Kurt didn’t know what it was because Rachel decided she was going to have babies with Kurt’s--Kurt’s Blaine. Kurt rounded on Rachel.

“What the hell was that?” He shouted. “Who decides they’re going to have a baby with someone within five minutes of meeting him?”

“His coloring made me think he might be Jewish,” Rachel defended herself. “And who am I to pass up the chance to date a man who might someday give me vaguely Eurasian babies? Does he sing?”

“Does he sing?” Kurt repeated. “Yes, he used to be a Warbler. But that’s not the point, Rachel. You chased him away, and he’s not interested in you. He’s interested in me. Or, he was. I thought he was. No, he definitely was but now I don’t know what’s going on.”

Rachel did have a loving, sensitive side, and finally it kicked in when she saw how hurt and confused Kurt looked. She pulled Kurt down onto the couch beside her and looked him square in the eye. 

“Okay, Kurt,” she said, seriously. “What’s going on? Explain to me why a former Warbler was in your apartment, and what he did to you that has you looking like you’re about to cry. I’ve never seen you like this, Kurt. Not even when Adam left.”

Kurt didn’t know where to start. For one thing, the comparison to Adam rankled. This was nothing like Adam. He’d only known Blaine for three days and already felt closer to him than he’d ever felt with Adam. And he couldn’t explain to Rachel what he didn’t understand himself. He took a deep breath.

“Um. Well.” He stammered. Took another breath. “I met Blaine a few days ago. We’ve been spending a lot of time together, and it’s been--” Deep breath. “--really nice.” Rachel patted his arm soothingly.

“And then last night, he, um, stayed over,” Kurt looked at Rachel meaningfully. Rachel’s eyes widened in surprise, but she nodded. So far she was following. “And when I woke up this morning, he was gone, and Nick and Jeff--the guys who run the diner where you had lunch--they live with Blaine--they wouldn’t tell me what was going on with him, but they said he was sick. And then Jeff called and asked me to sit with Blaine, so I did, but he didn’t wake up or anything. And then Nick came home so I left and that’s when I ran into you.”

Rachel was uncharacteristically silent. As difficult as Rachel could be sometimes, she really was a good friend, when she turned her attention to it. Now, Kurt needed Rachel to listen, and she actually was.

Kurt finished up, “So I think Blaine was here to explain what happened, but you chased him away and now I don’t know what to do.”

“I’m sorry, Kurt,” Rachel said, stroking his back. 

Kurt sighed and let her hug him. Rachel was Rachel. She wasn’t going to change, and he had to take the bad with the good.

“I think you should sleep on it,” Rachel said finally. “You’re upset now, he seemed upset, and it’s getting late. I’ll go home so you can get some rest, and then you can find Blaine in the morning. I’m sure you’ll be able to straighten everything out then.”

Kurt nodded and sniffled. It sounded like good advice. 

***********************

The next morning, Kurt got up, dressed carefully, and went over to Niff. He had to meet Irene just before 10am for their shopping trip, but he figured he had a good chance of running into Blaine over breakfast, and maybe they could at least arrange a time to talk later.

But Blaine didn’t come in while Kurt was there, and though Kurt tried to get Nick or Jeff’s attention, Nick was on the grill and Jeff was off to the side texting whenever he wasn’t waiting on someone. Kurt tried to start a conversation with him when Jeff took his order, but couldn’t get Jeff to relax and talk to him. When it was time to meet Irene, Kurt sighed, paid his check, and went back to his building.

Kurt managed to put his troubles aside and have fun with Irene. Joanne’s wasn’t like the fabric stores in the Garment District in New York, but he found some serviceable material he could use for slipcovers, curtains, and a new duvet for the bed that would allow him to transform the apartment fairly quickly. Once he’d covered up all the flowers and lace in the apartment, he’d be much more comfortable living there as long as he needed to. He could figure out a more permanent furniture solution if he decided to stay in the apartment, and if he decided to sell, things would be a lot less dated and off-putting with the more neutral palate he selected.

Then they moved on to groceries, and Kurt found the New Jersey version of Fairway almost as inspirational as the original store, even if they didn’t have a walk-in meat freezer. By lunchtime, he had everything put away and he decided to try Niff again.

Again, Blaine didn’t come in, and Jeff was texting. When Kurt was done eating, he decided he needed to confront Jeff directly. It was either that, or drop by the shop to see if Blaine was there, but Kurt didn’t want to upset Blaine in front of his customers if he could help it. 

When Jeff walked by carrying a bag of food on his way out the door, Kurt grabbed him gently by the arm. 

“Jeff, do you know if Blaine is at his shop today?” He asked. “I want--”

Jeff cut him off. “I don’t really care what you want. I want you to stay away from Blaine.”

Kurt was shocked at this response. “But I,” he began.

“Do you think it was easy for him to come see you last night?” Jeff ranted. “And you send him home in tears? I thought you were a good guy, but I guess I was just blinded because you’re so hot. Well, whatever, hot guy. You can come here and eat, but Nick and I don’t want to be friends with you, and whatever you do, STAY AWAY FROM BLAINE.” Jeff stormed out of Niff, bag in hand. Nick wouldn’t make eye contact with Kurt. Kurt paid his check and went home to think.

He didn’t know what to think. Obviously, Blaine had come over to tell him something last night. And obviously, Blaine had been completely overwhelmed by Hurricane Rachel. Did Blaine think Kurt had told Rachel he was straight? Or available? Kurt wasn’t so naive as to think the fact that they’d slept together meant they were boyfriends, but he had hoped they were heading in that direction until he woke up alone yesterday. Once he heard Blaine was sick, he figured that explained why Blaine had left, and maybe they could have a talk about where they wanted to go. Nothing too serious, because they’d only known each other for a few days, but at least they could get on the same page about what they hoped would happen. Kurt wanted to start dating, at least, even if Blaine wasn’t ready for official titles.

And Jeff was calling him “Hot Guy” like that was some sort of identity. If it was, it certainly wasn’t Kurt’s identity.

But now, he didn’t know what to think. If Blaine was upset enough at Kurt that he didn’t even want to see him in a public place, Kurt must have really done something to hurt him. 

Kurt set up his sewing machine and started to make slipcovers. Maybe things would look better once he got some work done.

 

**Blaine**

Blaine woke up with a headache and dry, irritated eyes. That’s what happens when you cry yourself to sleep. He got into the shower in the hopes that the hot water and steam would help him relax and feel more human. When he got out of the shower, he had a text from Jeff.

**From Jeff:** _Kurt is here. Do you want me to refuse service?_

Of course Blaine didn’t want Jeff to refuse Kurt service. Why would he? But he didn’t really think it would be good to see Kurt before he had his morning coffee, either.

**To Jeff:** _No. But I think I’ll make coffee here and head straight to the shop._

**From Jeff:** _OK. Let me know if you need anything._

**To Jeff:** _Sure thing._

The one good thing was that Blaine’s lost day had been Monday. Joseph had been available to open the shop for him. Today, Joseph wouldn’t be around, so Blaine had to go in. He thought it would be good for him, doing something useful and engaging in meaningless banter and light gossip with his customers.

He was offering a special on hot shaves to get the word out, and it seemed to be working. It was Tuesday, so the shop didn’t get too busy for one person to handle, but he had a steady stream of customers all morning. At lunchtime, he could see he wasn’t going to get a break, so he sent Jeff another text.

**To Jeff:** _No time for a break. Do you mind bringing me some lunch? I know you don’t usually deliver…_

**From Jeff:** _No problem. I’m in the mood for some fresh air anyway. I’ll bring you something as soon as I get a minute._

Blaine wasn’t sure what Jeff meant, but he had work to do, so he went back to it. He finally had caught up with the line when Jeff walked in. Blaine was pleased. He’d have a few minutes to sit and eat whatever Jeff brought. But Jeff looked upset.

“Thanks for bringing this,” Blaine said, as he took the bag of food out of Jeff’s hand.

“You’re welcome,” Jeff replied. “And don’t worry about that guy anymore. I told him to stay away from you.”

“What guy?” Blaine asked, looking into the bag to find a chicken salad sandwich and a cup of soup.

“Kurt,” Jeff explained. “I thought he was a nice guy, but nobody treats you that way.”

Blaine was really confused now. “What way?”

“You went over there to tell him about your issues,” Jeff said. “And you came home crying. If he can’t understand, he doesn’t deserve you.”

“He doesn’t deserve me because I was crying?” Blaine asked. “Jeff, I have Depression. I don’t always have a good reason for crying.”

“So you were crying last night for no reason?” Jeff asked, suspicious.

“Well, no,” Blaine agreed. “I was overwhelmed and scared that I’d never get Kurt to listen to me.”

“Well,” Jeff said. “You certainly don’t deserve that!”

“No, Jeff,” Blaine explained patiently. “It wasn’t his fault. Kurt wasn’t alone when I got to his place.”

“He had a guy over?” Jeff said. “When did he get a guy over? He was at our place with you all afternoon!”

“No,” Blaine said. “It wasn’t a guy. It was his friend, Rachel Berry. She’s, um, quite a presence. I couldn’t really handle her after the day I’d had.”

“Rachel Berry? That’s the Broadway lady that was at Niff yesterday. Signing autographs everywhere, whether people wanted them or not. Of course, that started a stampede of old folks from Prospect Avenue who had nothing better to do. A very slow stampede.”

“That sounds like her,” Blaine said. “But Kurt tried to stop her. And he tried to stop me from leaving, but I just couldn’t deal with anything then, so I went home.”

“Oh,” Jeff said, looking contrite. “I might have just yelled at Kurt in front of my whole restaurant.”

Blaine sighed and closed his eyes. Kurt was never going to speak to him again. Well, there was nothing he could do about it right now. A customer was coming in, so Blaine put his sandwich aside and went back to cutting hair as Jeff walked out of the shop.

****************************  
After he closed the shop, Blaine thought about what he wanted to do. He went home and cooked himself some food. He checked his hair and made sure that his shirt and tie looked fresh. Then he decided he’d just have to bite the bullet, go back to Kurt’s apartment, and make sure he talked to him this time and said what he needed to say. He put on his coat.

When he got to Kurt’s building, he once again had no problem getting in. He took the elevator to the fourth floor and knocked, but there was no answer. That threw him. Of course, there was no reason Kurt shouldn’t go out, but Blaine had expected him to be home and had psyched himself up for this conversation. 

While he was standing there wondering what to do, an old lady walked by. She was wearing a long skirt, comfortable shoes, a tunic, and a lovely silk scarf woven out of multicolored strips of fabric. 

“Are you looking for Bertie?” Asked Irene. “I’m sorry to say she passed away a few months ago.”

“No,” Blaine replied. “I’m looking for her nephew? Er, great-nephew?”

“Oh, Kurt!” Irene smiled at Blaine appraisingly. “I’m glad to see he’s making friends in the neighborhood. Such a sweet young man.”

“Yes,” Blaine said uncomfortably. “Um...I’m Blaine Anderson.”

“Irene,” she said, shaking his hand. “Well, I don’t think Kurt will mind me telling you he’s not home. He left town a few hours ago.”

“Left town?” Blaine repeated. Why was he being so stupid? It was like his brain could only work at half pace today. Irene must think he was an idiot.

“Yep. Went to visit family, I think.”

“Thank you very much.” At least his manners were still working. Blaine turned and went back to the elevator. Obviously, he had screwed things up so badly with Kurt that he’d chased him away completely. Damn Jeff and his jumping to conclusions. He’d have to find a way to fix things, if he could even get Kurt to speak to him again.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kurt goes on a trip. 
> 
> Blaine worries.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Your comments are keeping me going today. Thanks so much for reading this and being so supportive!
> 
> Thanks as always to Bowtiesandboatshoes.

**Kurt**

Kurt looked out the windows of the Acela express train as it sped through Maryland. He felt like a child, running to his father because he had a fight with a boy, but if there was one person who could help him get his head on straight, it was Burt Hummel. 

Luckily, Burt and Carole were still in Washington, trying to finish up a few things in the lame duck session of Congress before the new administration took over Washington, so Kurt could just take a short train trip instead of needing to fly to Ohio to see his parents. He had plans to see them in a couple of weeks for Christmas, but he felt like he couldn’t wait.

Part of him felt like he should just text Blaine and find out what was going on. Part of him felt like he should respect Blaine’s wishes (as expressed by Jeff) and stay away from him. But then doubt would creep in. Was Jeff sure that was what Blaine wanted? And then came anger. Blaine was the one who had disappeared, why should Kurt reach out first? Of course, the answer to that could be that it was Kurt’s friend Rachel who had scared the crap out of poor Blaine who had been sick all day and managed to get himself over to Kurt’s place to talk. Did that make it Kurt’s turn to reach out? He was still going around in circles. At least the train was taking him in a straight line to his dad. 

When Kurt arrived in DC, he took a few minutes to appreciate Union Station. He loved beautiful things, and the station had been restored with original details. Of course, the presence of chain stores and restaurants marred the beauty, but if you looked past those, you could see the structure of the building and it was glorious. Kurt missed the days of large-scale public works programs that produced buildings like this. He also missed the days of people dressing to travel, he thought, as he looked around at tourists and commuters dressed in sweat suits or yoga pants.

He himself was wearing a gray vintage wool traveling suit from the 1920’s with a Burberry coat. He loved the way the jacket of the suit was cut short, so it accented the way the trousers clung to his butt. It was a pain to take care of a wool suit, but worth every second and every penny to Kurt. 

Eventually, he made his way out of the station and took the Metro to the apartment his parents kept in DC. Burt was still out meeting with someone or other, but Kurt had a great time making dinner with Carole. It was just like old times--the two of them moving in sync with each other as they worked together. It wasn’t the same as Ohio, of course, but the upside of that was that Finn’s absence was less pronounced here. Kurt felt it all the time, and he knew Carole felt it even more keenly, but this apartment was not somewhere Finn had lived, and so while it always seemed odd to cook for three people instead of the mountain of food they used to make to account for Finn’s appetite, it just didn’t hurt as much to spend time here as it did in the old house.

When Burt got home, the three of them ate dinner, chatting amiably about things Kurt had found in Aunt Bertie’s apartment, reacting with shock and fear to some of the stories Burt told about the new administration’s ideas, and what he thought was going to happen when Congress reconvened in January. Kurt made a mental note to find his Rosie the Riveter socks when he went to Ohio for Christmas. He wanted to wear them to the Womens’ March on Washington in January. 

After dinner, Carole insisted she could clean up by herself. Kurt had a feeling both his parents knew exactly why he was there. Sometimes he wondered if his dad could read his mind. He hoped not, though. He’d been thinking some things about Blaine lately that he was pretty sure his dad didn’t want to know about.

“So, what do you want to talk to me about that couldn’t be talked out on the phone?” Burt asked with no further preamble.

Kurt sighed. “It’s about a guy,” he began, nervously.

“Kurt, you’re twenty-two years old,” Burt replied. “You’ve been engaged. You’re out of college. I know that you date.”

“That’s just it, though,” Kurt explained. “It’s so different from Adam. In college, you just kind of fall into a relationship, unless you want to sleep around. I got to college, I met Adam, and before I knew it, he was my boyfriend. Things just kind of progressed from there, and maybe I let things happen when I should have been making my own decisions, but at least I always knew where I stood.”

“But with this guy, you’re not sure where you stand?” Burt asked.

“I don’t even know if he’s speaking to me!” Kurt complained.

Burt’s eyebrows lifted. “Okay, son. Why don’t we start from the beginning?”

So Kurt related the story of meeting Blaine, Jeff, and Nick, and what had happened over the past few days. Burt, to his credit, showed no discomfort when Kurt tastefully reported that Blaine had spent the night with him at Aunt Bertie’s apartment. When Kurt was done, Burt cut right to the chase.

“So, what do you want from this boy?” he asked.

“I want to keep getting to know him better,” Kurt said. “Maybe it was a mistake sleeping with him when I’d only known him for a few days, but I wasn’t throwing myself around, dad. I felt like we had a real connection, and it seemed to me that the sex was...making us closer, like you said. It mattered to me. But then I woke up and I figured I didn’t matter to him, and then when I found out he was sick, I thought that might explain things, and then he came over and then he left without saying anything and I’m so confused, Dad.”

“Sounds like the two of you need to talk.”

“But, Jeff told me to stay away from Blaine,” Kurt argued.

“Was that Jeff talking, or Blaine talking?” Burt asked.

“That’s just it,” Kurt said. “How am I supposed to know? I mean, Jeff is Blaine’s best friend. They live together. They’ve known each other since high school. I expect Jeff knows Blaine way better than I do.”

“Maybe he’s right and maybe he’s wrong,” Burt said. “But seems to me the only way you’re going to find out is to ask Blaine face to face.”

Just then, Kurt’s phone vibrated with an email notification. It was from Jeff of all people. Kurt didn’t even know how Jeff had his email address.

To: Kurt  
From: Jeff  
Re: Holiday Party

Hey Kurt,

We’re having a Karaoke Holiday Party on Monday night at Niff. It’s an old Warbler tradition. 8pm. We’d love it if you can come.  
Jeff

Kurt looked at the message, mystified. Jeff had *just* been telling him they wouldn’t be friends, and now this. Well, something was going on, but right now, he was visiting with his dad. He’d think about this and answer later.

“How about some hot chocolate and a movie, Dad?” he asked.

 

**Blaine**

Blaine was starting to feel like himself again. He was glad this particular bout of anxiety hadn’t led to full Depression. It had been only a few days, and already he was eating normally and his customers had stopped asking what was wrong. Nick and Jeff still knew he wasn’t one hundred percent, and he still wasn’t sleeping, but that was mostly down to one thing.

He hadn’t seen Kurt since that night when he met Rachel. That was Monday, and now it was Friday, and Blaine hadn’t run into Kurt at Niff or seen him walk past the shop. He had taken several walks up the hill to Prospect Avenue, but he hadn’t run into Kurt there either. 

Blaine realized that he could just send Kurt a text, but he really felt like he would only be able to explain himself face to face. 

He was having lunch at Niff when Jeff walked by. “I heard from your boy,” Jeff said. “He’s coming to the party, but he wants to bring someone.”

Blaine paled. Had Kurt been seeing someone else all along? Had he met someone since Monday? Who asked to bring a date to a party with new people? Didn’t Kurt know Blaine had only asked Jeff to invite him so Blaine could be sure he’d see him again? 

“What did you tell him?” Blaine asked nervously.

“I told him sure,” Jeff replied. “You said he wasn’t a jerk and I should be friends with him. I told everyone else they could bring a date if they wanted, so I told Kurt he could too. Was that wrong?”

“No,” Blaine said. Of course it wasn’t wrong. Kurt should be treated like everyone else. If Blaine had misunderstood what was going on, or chased Kurt so far away that he already had found a boyfriend, then Blaine would just have to live with it. At least he’d get to see Kurt again. 

The weekend was the longest that Blaine could remember. He still wasn’t sleeping, because he was up nights wondering if he should call Kurt, or text him, or just wait until Monday. At three o’clock every morning, Blaine would resolve that he would call Kurt right after breakfast. At four, he’d be sure that was the worst thing he could possibly do. At five, he’d decide he couldn’t possibly even go to Nick and Jeff’s party, because it would be too embarrassing to have to face Kurt. At six, he’d sleep a little bit. By seven, he’d be sure that going to the party and talking to Kurt face to face was the only solution to his problems. 

And so he waited, constantly hoping he’d run into Kurt somewhere and Kurt would kiss him and put an end to his misery.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Warbler Christmas party. It's the chapter you've been waiting for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again for all the comments! Last chapter will be posted tomorrow. 
> 
> Thanks to Bowtiesandboatshoes for all the help!

**Kurt**

Kurt pushed open the door that said, “Closed for private party” and escorted Rachel into a Niff that looked very different after dark. There was a Christmas tree on the counter near the wall and twinkle lights everywhere. It reminded Kurt a little of Callbacks, but without the piano and with a definite air of Christmas.

There was a punchbowl full of eggnog and a carafe of hot cider, snacks everywhere, and much to Rachel’s delight, a stage with a karaoke machine in the back of the little restaurant. Kurt saw a few Niff regulars he recognized, and then he saw Blaine start to smile when he laid eyes on Kurt, then step back a little when he saw that Rachel was with him. Kurt sighed and poured some cider for himself and Rachel. Kurt knew Rachel would never let eggnog touch her vocal chords before singing, even if she wasn’t a vegan. He knew it as well as he knew that bringing Rachel to the party had been stupid. But he had promised her his Monday nights, and it was the only way he could think of to keep his promise to Rachel and still show Blaine, Jeff, and Nick that he wanted to be friends with them. 

Or whatever he wanted to be with Blaine.

But now Blaine was put off because of Rachel, and Kurt didn’t know how to approach him to set things right, and nothing was going to get fixed this way. 

They settled into a corner to survey the room. Then Rachel decided she couldn’t wait a moment longer and she had to get in on the karaoke. Kurt hoped they had a system to stop her from taking over the mic all night, but decided he could always drag her home if he had to.

When Rachel came back, she seemed a bit discomfited. “This is the craziest karaoke I’ve ever heard of,” she ranted. “You can sign up for a turn, but you don’t get to choose your song. You have to pick the song out of a hat!”

Kurt raised his eyebrows at that. Most people would only sing songs they knew really well at karaoke. This must be a daring crowd if they agreed to that rule. Just then, Nick got up on the stage and grabbed the mic.

“Welcome friends, to our annual Niff Christmas karaoke-fest! This party goes back to our Warbler days, and while we miss our Warbler brothers, we’re so happy to have a group of friends that can uphold the tradition. So: Warbler party, Warbler rules. Most of you know the rules already, but for those who don’t, here you go: We have a sign-up sheet that’s already pretty full, you crazy people.”

“I got us both places,” Rachel said. “We’re about two-thirds of the way down, though.”

“When your turn comes,” Nick continued. “You pick a song out of this bowl. They’re pretty much all Christmas standards, so you all know them. If you need help, you can choose a friend or ask us for what you need, and if you need backup, just ask. We’re all singers here.”

A cheer went up from the room, and Nick tossed the mic to Jeff, who was evidently first on the list. 

Kurt settled in to listen. He figured Jeff could sing, having been a Warbler, and he did a great job with his pick, which was “Last Christmas,” by Wham!. Rachel was disappointed, since that was her favorite Christmas song, but she could see that Jeff was capable. After the first verse, Nick and Blaine grabbed mics and jumped onstage to sing backup, doing some cute step-touches and pivot-turns from the old days when they were Warblers.

Kurt stared at Blaine, looking dapper in his red pants, green sweater, and a bow tie with tiny Christmas trees on it. Blaine was clearly having fun with his friends, and the way he lit up, even singing backup, showed why he had been the lead singer for the Warblers back in high school. He had a stage presence that shone. Kurt sighed again.

The next few singers were equally capable, and when someone chose a song that was out of his or her range, they all adapted capably, or hammed it up, or talk-sang their way through. Nobody was really terrible, and everyone was having a great time. As the night wore on, Kurt chatted with Rachel and a few other people he knew, and wondered how he’d manage to talk to Blaine if Blaine was terrified of Rachel and staying near the stage all night. 

Next thing he knew, Blaine was taking the stage, dramatically pulling a song out of the bowl. 

“Oh, dear,” Blaine said with exaggerated frustration. “My song is a duet. I’m going to need help!” Nick jumped on the stage, and Blaine said, “Actually, I need a soprano for this one. Sorry, Buddy.” Nick looked dejected and walked back to his place near Jeff. Jeff made a show of comforting his boyfriend, and everyone laughed. 

“I’m pretty sure there’s only one person in this room who can do this duet justice,” Blaine said, looking toward the back of the room. Rachel was fluffing her hair and smoothing her skirt, but he looked past her. “Kurt, would you help me out?” 

Kurt wasn’t sure what to do. On the one hand, he had fantasized about singing with Blaine. On the other hand, he wasn’t sure if they were friends right now or not. On the other hand, he really, really wanted to spend time with Blaine, and wasn’t this invitation proof that Blaine wanted to be friends? On the other hand, what if Blaine was just choosing him out of pity and he really didn’t want to sing with Kurt at all? Kurt was just trying to figure out exactly how many hands he had when Rachel shoved him towards the stage, and he decided he might as well sing whatever song Blaine had picked.

Then he saw the song title. He looked at Blaine, at a loss for what to do.

“Don’t you know it?” Blaine asked, quietly.

“Of course I know it, it’s a personal favorite,” Kurt replied. “But--”

“I need your help. Will you help me sing?” Blaine asked bluntly.

“Okay,” Kurt replied. He grabbed a mic and got ready. 

Blaine pushed a button on the karaoke machine and the intro started. He danced over to Kurt and indicated, with a flourish, that Kurt should begin singing.

“I really can’t stay,” he began. And the two of them sang the flirtiest, most playful duet of “Baby It’s Cold Outside” that Kurt had ever heard. Blaine chased him around the stage, and Kurt danced just out of his reach, then let himself get caught again and again. When they finished, they were laughing, and Blaine was looking into Kurt’s eyes, and then he averted his gaze. Kurt felt a little breathless, and he thought it was finally time to talk, but then Jeff was calling the next person to sing and before he knew it, Kurt was back at his spot in the back of the room with Rachel and Blaine was helping Nick refill the hot cider.

“I detest that song, but your version is hot,” Rachel said.

“How can you hate ‘Baby It’s Cold Outside?’” Kurt asked.

“Oh, please,” Rachel replied. “It’s a total date rape song. But the sexual tension between the two of you is incredible!”

“A date rape song?” Kurt pondered for a moment. “I always thought of it as mid-century flirting. You know, she has to protest to keep up appearances, but she doesn’t really want to go.”

“Yeah, okay,” Rachel scoffed. “Way to prop up rape culture. That is no doubt the thought behind the song, but that thought is the exact argument every date rapist uses.”

“Okay,” Kurt conceded. “It’s a date rape song.” 

“Yes, but sexual tension,” Rachel said, trying to keep Kurt on track. “You have to talk to him.”

“You think?” Kurt felt insecure. “What if it’s just me? We’ve hardly talked since we hooked up. Maybe he wants me to move on.”

“Kurt,” Rachel grabbed his hand forcefully. “He came to your apartment looking for you. You know Jeff and Nick invited you tonight because he wanted you here.” Kurt raised an eyebrow. “He lives with them, Kurt. Certainly he would have asked them not to invite you if he didn’t want to see you.”

Kurt supposed that was true.

“And he asked you to sing a flirty duet with him,” Rachel concluded. “Obviously he’s trying to get your attention.” 

“But he had my attention, and then he walked away!” Kurt argued.

“Obviously because he’s intimidated that you’ve brought a Broadway Star with you tonight,” Rachel replied. “What’s that? I think I hear the train to New York. I wouldn’t want to miss it!” And the next thing Kurt knew, Rachel darted out the door and onto a train that was, in fact, at the station. And then Jeff called his name.

Kurt walked up to the stage, figuring he could sing now and make a decision after that. He put his hand into the bowl, and pulled out another duet. Oh.

“It’s a duet,” he said, into the mic.

“Whose is it?” Jeff asked. 

“Um,” Kurt looked at the slip of paper. “It’s the Sinatra part I’ll need.”

Jeff smiled, and before Kurt knew what was going on, Blaine was beside him again.

“I’m the Sinatra guy,” Blaine shrugged. “What’s the song?”

Kurt showed him, and Blaine’s grin was instantaneous and huge. Kurt had to admit this was going to be a fun one. Blaine looked positively delighted as he began the scatting at the beginning of the song. 

Their rendition of “White Christmas” was even more fun than their first duet. Kurt felt as connected to Blaine as he had when they’d been intimate, and as they got further into the song, Kurt’s smile widened as their voices blended. At one point, Kurt thought Blaine was going to kiss him, but then Blaine smiled and turned away to the audience, bringing the whole room into the moment. 

When the song ended, Kurt decided he’d had enough. He grabbed Blaine’s arm and refused to let go. “We need to talk,” he said. 

Blaine nodded and they stepped out into the night. 

 

**Blaine**

As Blaine helped Nick and Jeff set up the restaurant for the party, he was nervous. He realized with relief that this was not clinical anxiety--he was a normal amount of nervous--but he still didn’t like it. Why did Kurt want to bring someone to the party? Was Kurt trying to tell him to back off? And if so, was it because Kurt wished they had never slept together, or because Kurt was mad that Blaine had left? Had Blaine screwed up something that could have been awesome, or was it doomed from the start? Around and around he went, as he had been all weekend, with no answers presenting themselves.

When guests started to arrive, Blaine relaxed a bit. He was in his element, charming old friends, welcoming new ones, meeting dates and spouses he hadn’t met before, and looking forward to singing, which always made him feel good. But at the same time, he found himself acutely aware of the door, always watching for Kurt.

When Kurt finally did arrive, Blaine felt himself smiling. Kurt still looked perfect, and Blaine couldn’t help smiling just looking at him. Kurt had come to the party, he looked well, and he was beautiful. And Blaine felt like the world’s orbit was coming back into alignment. Best of all, Kurt was coming in with a woman. A woman! Not a date at all. Blaine felt hope for the first time in a week.

Then he looked at the woman more carefully and saw that it was Rachel Berry. He started a little, remembering their last interaction. Then Nick came up and asked him whether he’d taken the cocktail weiners out of the oven, so he hustled off to get them before they burned. 

So, it was good news that Kurt was here, and not with a date. Obviously Kurt wasn’t avoiding him. But Blaine didn’t have a way to approach Kurt in this environment. They needed to talk, not make pleasant party chit-chat. So Blaine needed a way to show Kurt that he wanted to reconnect that wasn’t totally inappropriate to a party.

The answer came when he chose his song for karaoke. He knew that Kurt would do an amazing job singing “Baby it’s Cold Outside,” and the excuse of needing a partner for the song was perfect. He could remind Kurt of the amazing connection they shared without putting any pressure on him to stick around longer than the length of the song. If Kurt wasn’t feeling it, they could walk away and there would be no problem. Well, except Blaine would have to find a hole to hide in for the rest of his life. 

Blaine gathered his courage and asked Kurt to sing. It was magical. They flirted and harmonized and the energy was incredible. Blaine felt like everyone in the room could see that he and Kurt were meant to be together. There was no way Kurt could be missing the electricity crackling between them. 

When the song ended, Blaine intended to get Kurt’s attention so they could talk, but as soon as they had taken their bows, Nick grabbed him to ask a question about the extra mic. When Blaine turned back around, Kurt was gone. He finally found him back in his corner with Rachel, where he had spent most of the night. What did that mean? Was Kurt taking the opportunity to walk away and never talk to Blaine again? Maybe singing hadn’t felt the same for Kurt as it did for Blaine? Maybe the whole weekend they had spent together hadn’t felt the same for Kurt. Maybe Kurt had been relieved to wake up and find Blaine gone, and was frustrated that Blaine kept turning up. Maybe Kurt wanted to be friends with Nick and Jeff, but not Blaine. After all, he hadn’t accepted an invitation from Blaine. 

When the time came for Kurt to sing, Blaine held his breath. He was excited to hear Kurt sing again because Kurt’s voice was amazing and his stage presence was captivating. But he also wanted to see if Kurt might give him any signals from the stage. It all depended on what song he picked out of the hat. 

Then Kurt was asking for someone to sing Sinatra, so Blaine put thoughts of their relationship aside and just decided he would enjoy getting to sing with Kurt again. It might be the last time, but maybe if he did a good job, Kurt would feel the energy between them and give Blaine another chance. Blaine felt like his whole life was riding on “White Christmas.”

And it was even better than “Baby it’s Cold Outside.” When Blaine did the kiss fake (which was from an old Warbler routine), he was pretty sure Kurt would have kissed him. Better yet, when they were done singing, Kurt took Blaine’s arm and asked him to talk. 

Blaine took a deep breath, nodded, and walked with Kurt out into the night. 

There was only one way Blaine would get through this. He had to take control of the situation. As soon as they got out of the diner, he started talking, “Look, Kurt, I’m sorry I screwed everything up. You probably hate me by now, and you should, but there’s a reason I left that morning and I want to tell you about it.”

“Wait, what?” Kurt asked. “Why would I hate you?”

“You don’t hate me?” For the first time since he had left Kurt’s house a week ago, hope bloomed in Blaine’s heart. “Can we go somewhere and talk properly?”

“Of course,” Kurt said. “That’s all I’ve wanted. Do you want to come to my apartment?”

Kurt’s apartment. Where they had spent a whole day and night together. Where they had had amazing sex. And then Blaine had run away. And then Blaine had gone there to apologize, and Rachel had terrified him. And he had run away again. No, Kurt’s apartment would not do. 

“Um, why don’t you come to my apartment instead? It’s, um, closer.”

Kurt shrugged, and they walked over to the apartment Blaine shared with Nick and Jeff. They wouldn’t be interrupted as long as the party was going on. Blaine opened the front door, took Kurt’s jacket, and offered drinks. It seemed like forever before they were settled on the couch, facing each other, both sitting stiffly. It wasn’t anything like the last time they had been on a couch together, watching Top Hat last Sunday. Blaine tried to focus his mind on the present. He started to feel anxious and took some deep breaths, like his therapist taught him.

“Blaine,” Kurt said gently. “What’s going on? I’m so confused and I really want to understand. I thought things were going so well between us, that we had a real connection that could maybe become something special. And if I scared you by moving too quickly, I’m sorry, but it was only because it felt right at the time. To me. I thought. But if it wasn’t right for you, then I’m sorry.”

“I have Depression.” Blaine blurted out, interrupting Kurt.

Kurt stopped. Looked Blaine in the eye. Thankfully, he seemed to sense that there was more, so he just sat calmly and waited. He didn’t try to rush Blaine. He didn’t ask the thousands of questions that were probably blooming in his mind. He didn’t encroach on Blaine’s personal space or run away. He just waited. Blaine took another deep breath, and forced himself to start talking.

“I was diagnosed in sophomore year of college, after I had a breakdown,” he began, looking warily at Kurt to gauge his reaction. Kurt just waited attentively. He gave a little half-nod to show Blaine he was hearing him, but no other outward reaction.

“Columbia was a lot of pressure,” he went on. “After Nick moved off campus to live with Jeff, I fell in with some Econ majors from my dorm who were really competitive about grades. They were all planning to apply to business school or law school, and all they thought about was beating everyone else to the top of the class. At first, it felt familiar, because prep school can be that way, and I thought they’d help me get good grades. But for them, the grades weren’t connected to anything else. They weren’t interested in learning, just the grades.”

“It got so we were pulling all-nighters three or four days a week, just cramming all the time. Most of my friends would blow off steam on the weekends. Some of them were in fraternities, others just went to parties and drank, had one-night stands, did drugs, whatever. But I wasn’t into that sort of thing. Sometimes I would get together with Nick and Jeff on the weekends, but if they were busy, I didn’t really have much to do, so I’d just stay in my room and study more. And as the weeks went on it got worse and worse. I dropped out of the a cappella group I had joined, so I’d have more time to study. I didn’t go out and make new friends, or exercise much, or anything. I just worked.”

“And then one night I was working on an assignment, and my computer froze, and I picked up a lamp and threw it through the monitor. My RA called Health Services and, well, long story short, they decided I should go to a residential facility.”

Kurt leaned forward and took Blaine’s hand, but didn’t say anything. Blaine took another deep, calming breath, and kept going.

“While I was there, I started cutting hair as part of my Occupational Therapy. We had different jobs we could choose to help us feel useful. Doing necessary work, and feeling the sense of accomplishment that goes with that as well as the connection to others, is one of the best treatments for Depression, it turns out. Anyway, I liked it so much that when I came out of the facility, I took an apprenticeship with a barber. I wasn’t supposed to live on my own right away, so Nick and Jeff said we could get a place together, and when the barber shop here came up for sale, I bought it.”

Blaine stopped talking then and looked at Kurt. He was feeling really nervous about this revelation, sure that Kurt would run screaming from the apartment, or at least say he didn’t want a relationship with someone so damaged. But Kurt just squeezed his hand a little and said, “Wow. That’s a lot. Can you tell me what happened last week? With--with me?”

And now Kurt looked nervous. Well, Blaine had to take responsibility for what he’d done. If he lost Kurt, it was all he deserved.

“I’ve been on medication since the hospital,” Blaine said. “And I have to take it at the same time every morning, or I feel really...dizzy, I guess, is the best way to describe it. Anyway, I didn’t have my meds with me and I needed them, so I went home to get them. And then I realized I’d just abandoned you and that you would wake up without me and think it was just a one-night stand, and I didn’t want you to think that, and I started worrying and I didn’t know what to do.”

“Why didn’t you just wake me up before you left? Or leave me a note, or a text?” Kurt asked.

Blaine sighed a deep, long sigh. How could he explain Clinical Anxiety to someone who didn’t have it? 

“This is what happens sometimes,” he started. “My mind starts spinning out of control, worrying about one thing after another. That’s Clinical Anxiety. It doesn’t necessarily make sense. If I’m in a good place, I’ve learned to separate the rational fears from the irrational ones. Like, worrying you might misunderstand my intentions toward you was rational. But thinking there was nothing I could do because you would hate me forever? Maybe not so rational.” Blaine rolled his eyes. Kurt smiled and shook his head.

“But when my Depression is bad,” Blaine continued. “It blows the Anxiety out of proportion. So my Depression was telling me that of course you would hate me because I’m worthless, and my Anxiety was telling me I had ruined everything and there was nothing I could do to fix it, and what happens is that I kind of ping-pong back and forth between the two until I can get into a really bad state.”

“And you do something like throwing a lamp through a computer,” Kurt supplied.

“Yes,” Blaine agreed. “But my psychiatrist has given me some anti-anxiety meds that kind of stop that process in its tracks. The only problem is, it also tends to put me to sleep for about six hours.”

“So you took your meds on Monday and went to sleep,” Kurt said, clearly picking up on what Blaine was trying to tell him. “And then you woke up and tried to talk to me, but my crazy friend Rachel was crazy, and it was too much for you.”

“Well,” Blaine was hesitant. Was it okay to tell someone his best friend was crazy five minutes after revealing you’d been in a mental hospital? 

“It’s okay,” Kurt said. “Or, should I not say ‘crazy?’ Is that offensive?”

“No,” Blaine said. “It’s fine. I know what you meant. And Rachel was a little bit overwhelming.”

Now Kurt was the one rolling his eyes. “Look, Blaine. I don’t blame you at all for leaving after Rachel practically jumped you. Rachel lives her whole life Broadway-size, and it can be a bit much in a small apartment. Especially if you’ve never met her before and just had a really rotten day.”

“Rotten day,” Blaine chuckled. “Is that a technical term?”

Kurt smiled. “I’m sorry I brought her tonight, if she bothered you. I already had plans with her and I really, really wanted to come because I knew you would be there. But, just so you can understand why I’m friends with her, you should know that she saw that she was getting in the way and left. And she convinced me that I absolutely had to talk to you. I mean, I was going to anyway, but she did that, for me. She can be a diva from hell, but she does love her friends.”

“I’m sure she does,” Blaine said, squeezing Kurt’s hand reassuringly. “I wasn’t doubting your choice of friends. She was just a little bit more than I could handle that day.”

“Okay,” Kurt said. “I’m not going to ask why you didn’t text me all week, because I didn’t text you all week either. But why did Jeff tell me to stay away from you, if you wanted to see me?”

Blaine hung his head. “Nick and Jeff told me on Monday that I had to tell you about,” he waved his hand around to indicate their earlier conversation, “all of this. I went over to your place to tell you, and when I came back, I was crying.”

“Rachel made you cry?” Kurt looked apologetic. “I’m so sorry, Blaine. You didn’t need that.”

“No,” Blaine corrected. “Anxiety made me cry. That was not an appropriate response to what happened. It’s important to learn the difference. But anyway, Jeff just saw me crying and assumed that I had told you about my history and you were mean to me about it. I didn’t know he’d spoken to you until it was too late.”

“That’s why we decided inviting you to the party was the best solution,” Blaine continued. “Jeff wanted to make up for his mistake and show you he wanted to be friends. And it took the work off my shoulders. It can be hard to motivate when my Depression is acting up, and I had already kind of spent my energy in that area. So it helped that Jeff made it happen.”

“So,” Kurt asked tentatively. “How are you feeling now?”

“Much better,” Blaine said. “I saw my therapist and my psychiatrist last week, and we made a tiny adjustment to my meds. It’s starting to kick in now and it’s really helping. That and some other work I’ve been doing with my therapist. But I’ve missed you.”

Kurt blushed, and it was the cutest thing Blaine had ever seen. 

“Um,” Kurt said. “Thank you for telling me. And I’ve missed you too. But where do we go from here?”

Blaine thought for a minute, then decided to lay it all on the line. “How about a date?”


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading and commenting and kudos! I love you all!
> 
> Special thanks to Bowtiesandboatshoes for being a great Beta even though I don't write smut for her. (She writes great smut, though. Go check it out.)

**Kurt**

Being unable to sit still was new for Kurt. He always kept busy, but usually he could sit for hours if he was involved with sewing or reading a book or sketching. Today, though, he found himself flitting from one activity to another, unable to settle his mind.

Well, unable to settle his mind on anything other than his upcoming date with Blaine. 

Before, things had just happened. There was no planning, which meant no anticipation. But now, Kurt found himself incredibly nervous and excited. He wanted Blaine to trust him enough to start a real relationship. It was a good sign that Blaine had shared so much important information about himself. Kurt was still digesting the information, but he wasn’t scared. Blaine seemed to really understand Depression well, so Kurt was sure if they got into a serious relationship, Blaine would help Kurt learn what he needed to know. 

What he was scared about were the little things. Would they have sex tonight? What would they talk about at dinner? What should he wear? Would Blaine find him boring on a date? Would they have sex tonight? What if Blaine was one of those people who cares if you use the wrong fork? What if Blaine didn’t want to be Kurt’s boyfriend? What if Blaine turned out to have terrible table manners? What if they didn’t have sex tonight? 

So Kurt went through his day, bouncing nervously from one activity to another. He made a slipcover for the couch, but couldn’t sit still long enough to make them for the matching chairs. He went through one of Aunt Bertie’s boxes and then put the rest away. He cooked something. He tried on six or seven (or twelve) possible outfits. He sketched a little. He spent way too long on Twitter. He tried on some more outfits. 

Finally, he was dressed and ready, trying to read a book while he waited for Blaine to pick him up. Kurt had wanted to meet somewhere, but Blaine insisted he would plan the whole date and pick Kurt up “like a gentleman.” 

When the doorbell rang, Kurt made a point of walking to the bedroom to put the book away before he answered the door. Blaine didn’t need to know he’d been sitting by the door for more than half an hour. When he opened the door, Blaine was dressed adorably in tight, dark-wash jeans rolled up at the ankles, a rust-colored shirt that set off his skin beautifully, a bright blue blazer, and a yellow bow tie. He was also holding a lovely posy of red and yellow roses, which he held out to Kurt. 

Kurt tried really hard not to shriek with joy like a little girl. He mostly succeeded, but from the smile on Blaine’s face, he thought he might have let out a little squeak, so he blushed. Which only made Blaine smile more. Oh, well.

“Come in while I put these in water,” Kurt said. Blaine waited while Kurt searched the kitchen for something suitable. You’d think an old lady with lacy curtains would have vases! Finally he found one in the dining room credenza. As he arranged the flowers, Kurt smiled at Blaine over his work.

“So, where are we going?” Kurt asked.

“Westwood,” Blaine said. “It’s a lovely little town. I thought we’d have a nice, leisurely dinner and then if it’s not too cold we can take a walk. It’s a little bit far but I love this restaurant, and there’s not another one like it around here.”

“I’m intrigued,” said Kurt, raising an eyebrow and smiling. He pointed to the flowers, now arranged and in water. “These are ready, shall we go?”

Blaine smiled back, and Kurt grabbed his coat and they walked to the elevator. The car ride was pleasant. As Blaine had said, it was a bit of a ride, but they chatted comfortably and Kurt enjoyed looking out of the window, at first taking note of the stores on the highway (the same highway, he noticed, he had traveled with Irene when they went to the fabric store) and then enjoying the back roads. Of course, the suburban streets were more like Lima than what Kurt thought of as back roads back in Ohio, except there was an interesting variety of large and small houses as they traveled through different towns. And a few of the houses had historical markers outside that reminded Kurt just how long ago this part of the country was first settled by Europeans.

Eventually, they drove across some train tracks next to a park, and through streets lined with cute shops until Blaine pulled into a parking lot. They got out of the car, and Blaine walked over to Kurt, putting his hand on the small of Kurt’s back to guide him towards the restaurant. Kurt wasn’t paying much attention to where they were going because he was enjoying the contact and smiling at Blaine, but when they got inside there was a lovely roaring fire at the bottom of a curved ramp. They walked in and Kurt looked around as they waited to check their coats. When his gaze landed on one of the tables, he smiled, noticing the heating elements in the middle. He looked at Blaine.

“Fondue?” He asked, smiling.

Blaine grinned back. “It seemed cozy for a winter date,” he replied.

Kurt loved that Blaine had thought so much about a plan. He was overwhelmed by a need to kiss Blaine then, but satisfied himself with a hand on Blaine’s arm and a smile of thanks. The hostess came to show them to their table before the moment could become awkward.

They were led around the corner, past a glass-walled wine cellar, and to a small booth. They decided to order the full dinner so they could linger as long as possible, and when the server brought their cheese course, they enjoyed watching him mix the cheese into the wine. Kurt eyed the platter filled with vegetables, apple slices, and a bowl of assorted bread chunks before selecting a broccoli florette to dip in the pot. Blaine started with a dark chunk of bread.

The cheese was delicious and warm, the conversation flowed smoothly, and Kurt was enjoying his Shirley Temple, which Blaine had insisted they both order since neither of them wanted wine. 

Kurt was trying to figure out how many different colors were in Blaine’s eyes when he took his fork out of the cheese and found that his bread had dropped off. He laughed, poking around the pot to find his lost bread chunk.

“Well,” said Blaine, smiling like he’d won something. “I’m sure you know the rules of fondue.”

Kurt was amused, but uncertain. “Which rule are you referring to?” he asked.

“The one that says if you lose your bread, you have to kiss the person on your left,” Blaine replied, scooting around the booth so that he was sitting (imagine that!) suddenly on Kurt’s left side.

Kurt grinned and gave Blaine a loud smack on the cheek. Blaine pouted a little, then suddenly found that he, too, had lost his bread.

“Hmm,” he said thoughtfully. “Nobody sitting to my left. I guess I’ll have to keep going around the table and--well! It turns out you’re the next person at the table.”

Kurt grinned. Blaine was being completely ridiculous, but flirting was fun. And the goofball level kind of went with the bow tie and the Shirley Temples. Then Blaine leaned toward him and Kurt didn’t feel silly anymore as Blaine’s lips captured his in a slow, perfect kiss. Kurt put his hand on Blaine’s cheek to keep him there a moment longer, and then they both remembered they were in a restaurant, and focused very deliberately on the cheese pot, stealing nervous glances at one another.

But Kurt couldn’t help but notice that Blaine didn’t go back to his seat on the other side of the booth. He stayed right next to Kurt, their thighs pressed up against each other as they finished off their cheese course, and right through the salad. 

They were enjoying their shrimp and vegetables (continuing to drop a few, every once in a while, and appreciating their punishments more and more as they practiced) when Blaine excused himself and walked out of sight around the corner to the men’s room. Kurt waited and nibbled on some vegetables, wondering where Blaine would sit when he got back. Then he decided he’d cook some shrimp for each of them. 

After a while, Blaine came back and sat across from Kurt. Kurt was disappointed and thought maybe the date hadn’t been going as well as he thought, but Blaine caught Kurt’s ankle between his feet as though he couldn’t bear to be altogether without contact and looked at Kurt with heart eyes over the fondue pot, so Kurt decided everything was probably okay.

When they were done, the waiter came to clear the table and said, “Your dessert will be here in a moment.” Kurt was confused. They hadn’t ordered dessert, or even talked about it.

“I ordered something special,” Blaine said. “I hope you don’t mind.”

Kurt was pretty sure he did mind. This restaurant only served chocolate fondue for dessert, but they had about five different kinds. Kurt thought they’d discuss and plan and choose together, as they had for the other courses. How did Blaine even know that Kurt wanted dessert? He was weighing whether or not to start a fight when the server returned with a pot of plain milk chocolate.

And then he put down the plate of dippers. 

Kurt had read the menu. The dippers were supposed to be a variety of fruit and cake. Strawberries, bananas, pound cake, cheesecake, brownies, and so on.

This plate held a cheesecake. An entire cheesecake, sliced into manageable squares. 

 

**Blaine**

Blaine couldn’t believe how nervous he was. He and Kurt had already slept together, for goodness’ sake! But this was important to him. He had to show Kurt how he felt while he could, because Blaine knew the day would come again when he couldn’t feel anything, and if this was going to work out, Kurt would need something to sustain them both through that. 

He decided to start with flowers. Roses. At first, he just bought red ones, but then they looked too simple for Kurt. Kurt was vibrant--his flowers should be vibrant too. With the yellow mixed in, the flowers looked much more Kurt-like. Blaine had the florist make the flowers into a posy so they would stay mixed the way he wanted them.

He sat in his car for about twenty minutes in Kurt’s parking space, waiting for it to be time to go inside. He didn’t want to make things awkward by ringing the doorbell before Kurt was ready to go out. Someone like Kurt clearly spent a lot of time on his appearance, which Blaine appreciated, but this was supposed to be a real first date. Fancy. Not sitting around in the living room making Kurt feel like he had to hurry because Blaine was early. 

Finally, the time came, and Blaine went upstairs and rang the doorbell. Kurt looked amazing in tight, gray trousers, a dark blue dress shirt that brought out the blue in his eyes, and a black vest with a charming brooch in the shape of a hippo head. Blaine smiled at the sight of him, then smiled wider when Kurt made the most adorable noise when he presented the flowers.

The drive up to Westwood was nice. It was a clear night and Kurt was noticing all the houses, reminding Blaine of the ways New Jersey was different from Ohio. It was comfortable, that they came from the same place. 

When they got to The Melting Pot, Blaine got nervous again. He was pretty sure fondue was a great idea for a first date, but a little worried Kurt might not like it. So it was a relief when Kurt seemed happy to notice the heating elements on the table. 

They sat down, and Blaine hesitated to bring up wine. 

“Would you like to order a drink?” He asked. “I probably shouldn’t have any, since I’m driving, and you’ve...um...seen what one drink can do to me.” He ducked his head a little bit, but Kurt just laughed.

“I’d like to see that again someday,” Kurt said, smiling. It was incredibly adorable. “But not while you’re driving. Actually, I had a terrible experience with alcohol in high school, and I’ve never really gotten over it. I’m fine with water.”

“Water?” Blaine wasn’t having any of that. “This is a fancy first date. I cannot wine and dine you if you won’t get a proper drink.”

“But--” Kurt looked uncomfortable.

“I am getting a Shirley Temple,” Blaine announced. “Will you join me?”

Kurt chuckled, looking relieved. “I haven’t had a Shirley Temple in years!” He said. “That sounds delightful. I don’t mind if I do!”

So they enjoyed their Shirley Temples and their cheese and their shrimp. Blaine almost couldn’t believe his cheesy line about dropping things in the fondue worked, but then, if you can’t make cheesy jokes at a fondue restaurant, where can you make them? He loved cuddling up next to Kurt, and if he was a little less careful with his fondue fork than he might have been, Kurt didn’t seem to mind.

While they were still eating their shrimp, Blaine was already thinking about dessert. He loved the dessert here. They brought out a whole platter of dippers, including fruit and pound cake and marshmallows and the most delicious cheesecake. He never would have thought to dip cheesecake in chocolate fondue, but it was decadent, and Blaine was pretty sure Kurt would love it.

Suddenly it struck him: Kurt loved cheesecake. Kurt had told him that at Niff the day they’d met. Blaine wondered if he could turn this dinner into a really romantic gesture. He excused himself and went to find their server.

“Excuse me,” he said. “I wonder if I could special order dessert?”

“That’s unusual, sir,” replied the server. 

“I’d be willing to pay extra,” Blaine clarified.

“Well,” the server said, thoughtfully. “What did you have in mind?”

“Just milk chocolate,” Blaine said. “But instead of the usual platter, I wonder if we could get a whole plate of just cheesecake. My date really loves cheesecake, and I know it would make him smile.”

The server brought Blaine to the chef, who readily agreed (for a small charge) once she saw Blaine’s heart eyes. She said she’d do “anything for young love,” and Blaine returned to his seat, choosing to sit this time across from Kurt so that he could spend some time looking at him. Kurt really was beautiful. But then he missed touching him, so he wrapped his ankles around Kurt’s foot.

When the dessert platter came, Blaine held his breath, watching Kurt for a reaction. He saw a whole series of emotions play across Kurt’s face: irritation, surprise, joy, delight, affection, fear, and then Kurt started to cry.

“Kurt?” He asked. “Are you okay? Don’t you like it? We can get something else.”

“I love it,” Kurt sobbed. “Nobody has ever done anything this romantic for me in my life!”

Blaine was really confused now. All he’d done was order Kurt’s favorite dessert. How do you get engaged without doing something that level of romantic? Kurt deserved serenades, surprise gifts, skywriting! 

“I just wanted you to know I care about you,” Blaine explained. “Why are you crying?”

“Because you’re going to tell me you’re done with me!” Kurt sniffled.

“I’m--not done with you,” Blaine stammered.

“You’re not?” Kurt looked up hopefully.

“No!” Blaine replied. “I was trying to woo you, actually. Why would you think I was done with you?”

“Because,” Kurt explained. “How will you ever top this? If this is the first date, what could you possibly do for Valentine’s Day, or our anniversary, or a proposal?”

Blaine looked at Kurt, astonished. He could think of about a million things more romantic than this that he could do--that he wanted to do--for Kurt. Bring him coffee in the mornings. Sing to him in the barber shop. Get Jeff and Nick to help him record a song for him. Dress up in a couple’s costume for Halloween. Sing duets at karaoke (on purpose.) And a proposal! He couldn’t imagine spending less than a month planning a proposal (actually, he already had an idea or two about how he could propose to Kurt someday). This was just a little idea he had half an hour ago!

“I mean,” Kurt started to stammer. “Not that we’re going to still be together at Valentine’s Day, or--”

“Of course we are,” Blaine said, reaching carefully around the fondue pot to take Kurt’s hand firmly in his. “I was hoping that after this evening, you’d consent to be my boyfriend.”

“Really?” Kurt smiled then, and Blaine was relieved. 

“Kurt,” Blaine said, scooting back around to sit beside him. “There comes a moment when you say ‘Oh. There you are. I’ve been looking for you forever. When you sang ‘Blackbird’ in my apartment, that was the moment for me, about you. You move me, Kurt. And when you have Depression, that’s a really big deal. I want to spend every moment with you that I can. I want you to be my boyfriend. And if you will, I promise this will not be the most romantic thing I ever do for you.”

And then he kissed Kurt. They’d been kissing all evening, but this one was different. It was purposeful. Blaine tried to put everything Kurt made him feel into the kiss, and Kurt seemed to respond in kind. When Kurt’s hand came up and cupped Blaine’s cheek, Blaine thought he would melt into his seat. The touch was so caring, so intimate, that Blaine felt treasured.

“I’d love to be boyfriends,” Kurt said when they parted. He gave Blaine one more quick peck on the lips, sealing the deal. “Now, let’s eat this chocolate before it gets cold.”

Blaine squeezed Kurt’s hand, smiled, and picked up his fondue fork, stabbing a piece of the cheesecake.

“Are you serious, though?” he asked. “You were with Adam for three years and he never surprised you with cheesecake?”

Kurt snorted. “Adam didn’t understand cheesecake.”

“What’s to understand?” Blaine said. “It’s delicious. You eat it. And dipping it in chocolate is awesome.”

“Let’s not talk about Adam,” Kurt said. Then he pulled his fondue fork out of the pot and offered it to Blaine. Blaine’s heart started thumping as he let Kurt feed him. Kurt was feeding him cheesecake dipped in chocolate, and it was decadent and delicious and sexy and amazing. 

They went for a walk after dinner. Kurt was charmed to find more than one boutique that sold one-of-a-kind dresses, and vowed to come back with “his girls” when the shops were open. They spent a long time admiring the jewelry and rare stones in the window of The Gem Mine. And Blaine promised Kurt they’d come back to see a movie in the little movie theater some time soon. 

“There are some musicals coming out over Christmas,” he suggested. “Or the new Star Wars movie, maybe.”

Kurt seemed pleased at those suggestions, and they talked for a while about all the movies they wanted to see together.

On the way home, Kurt said, “It seems silly for you to drive to my apartment when yours is just around the corner. Why don’t you just drive to your usual spot?”

“But, I’m trying to be a gentleman,” Blaine argued. 

“Well, maybe you can walk me home then,” Kurt suggested.

But when they got out of the car in Blaine’s parking lot, Kurt pressed Blaine up against the car, kissing him thoroughly, and Blaine almost forgot the plan. When they stopped for breath, Blaine knew he had to say something before his brain stopped working from lack of blood.

“Shall I walk you home?” he said, trying to shift off the car.

“You could,” Kurt said, squeezing him tighter. “Or we could just go upstairs.”

“I’m being a gentleman,” Blaine said again, for emphasis.

“I’m not,” Kurt said. And he turned, grabbing Blaine almost carelessly by the ends of his bow tie, which Blaine suddenly noticed was untied, and started to walk toward Blaine’s building.

Blaine decided he quite liked being taken advantage of by this particular cad, and managed to take enough control of the situation to unlock the doors. But when they got to Blaine’s room, Kurt closed and locked the door behind them and pushed Blaine back onto his bed, climbing on top of him with the most wicked grin on his face.

Blaine decided he liked that, too.

***********************

Blaine woke up with the sun streaming through his window. He wondered why he hadn’t closed the shades, then realized his arms were snuggled tight around Kurt. He smiled, remembering how distracted he was when he came home last night, and snuggled closer to Kurt’s warm body.

Then he noticed how naked they both were, and he smiled wider. 

After a while, he looked at his phone and decided he should get up. He threw on some pajama pants and went to the kitchen to make coffee.

Of course Jeff was there.

“Good morning!” Jeff cried, a little bit too cheerfully. Blaine wondered how awful this was going to be. 

“So...how was your date?” Jeff asked, all innocence and light.

Blaine felt his blush going all the way down his chest. And then Nick walked in. Oh, god.

“Blushing already?” Nick asked. “What have you been asking him, Jeffy?”

“Just one question! I got him to blush with just one question” Jeff replied. “Wait. Is Kurt still here?”

Blaine decided to be mature. He said nothing. He went to the cabinet and got out his meds and two mugs. He poured two cups of coffee, and walked back to his bedroom with his back straight, his head held high, and his skin redder than a ripe berry. Nick and Jeff were laughing so hard they could barely stand up. Blaine was never so happy to get to his bedroom in his life.

Well, maybe last night he was.

As he closed the door, Kurt stirred, noticed the bed was empty beside him, and looked up in alarm. When he saw Blaine he smiled and relaxed, then he saw the coffee and his smile grew wider.

“Coffee?” he croaked out in the sexiest morning voice Blaine had ever heard.

“Yes,” Blaine said, sitting on the edge of the bed and handing Kurt a cup. “Good morning, boyfriend.”

Kurt almost spilled his coffee trying to drink and smile at the same time, but he got control of himself just in time, took a sip, and then reached out a hand to Blaine, who was about to take it when he realized he was still holding his meds.

“Just a second,” he said. He popped the pills in his mouth and washed them down with a sip of coffee. Then he stopped and looked at Kurt thoughtfully.

“Did you plan this?” he asked.

“Plan what?” Kurt replied.

“You did! You purposefully seduced me here so I’d have my meds!”

“I might have thought about it,” Kurt said coyly.

Blaine put his coffee down, walked over to the pants he’d been wearing the night before, reached into the pocket, and pulled out a pill case. They smiled at each other, and Blaine got back into bed, snuggling up next to Kurt and retrieving his mug. 

“Thank you for taking care of me,” Blaine said. “But you see I was doing okay on my own this time.”

“I’m glad,” Kurt said. “But I think I like taking care of you sometimes. Besides, we stayed at my place last time.”

“That’s true,” Blaine said. “But you don’t have nosy, obnoxious roommates.”

“Mmmm,” Kurt agreed. “Well, maybe you’ll have to leave a few pills at my place then.”

“Great idea,” Blaine said. “Can we go now?”

“Sorry, no,” Kurt replied. “I have plans this morning.”

Kurt turned to put down his mug, and Blaine was disappointed at the thought of parting company so early in the morning. But then Kurt took Blaine’s mug and put it beside his own, and turned back to Blaine with a saucy look in his eye. Blaine decided he was going to enjoy Kurt’s plans after all.

And he did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is the end of this story. However, I figure a fic about a barber who sings ought to have four parts, right? So I'm accepting prompts for what you'd like to see in the next part. Besides Blaine giving Kurt a hot shave. I got that one already!


End file.
